Air travel will gradually start to recover as travel restrictions are lifted. To make flying as safe as possible, Finnair is preparing to gradually grow passenger numbers with several new measures.
“Now that air travel gradually begins to recover and passenger numbers start to grow, we want everyone to be able to fly with confidence”, says Piia Karhu, SVP, Customer Experience at Finnair. “With these additional measures, we are supporting the health of our customers and employees at the airport and onboard.”
Earlier this spring, Finnair began implementing several changes to protect the health of customers and employees. The service process and in-flight service have been amended, customers are seated as far away from each other as possible, there are plastic shields at service points, and aircraft cleaning has been further intensified. Customer service personnel follow a no-touch policy with customers’ travel documents and baggage. The most visible change to customers now is the requirement to wear a mask for the entire duration of the flight. This measure is in effect from May 18 to at least the end of August.
“Customers will board the flight with their own mask and wear it throughout the flight,” Piia Karhu confirmed. “Also, Finnair’s customer-facing staff at the airport as well as the cabin crew will wear surgical masks. We decided to introduce this measure because the usage of masks is becoming more widespread and they protect passengers from possible droplet infection. When everyone wears a mask, we’re able to protect each other. We recommend that customers acquire a mask that fits them already before their flight, pack as little as possible and check in online or with a mobile app – all of these reduce waiting times and contacts at the airport,” Karhu added. “I’m confident everyone also understands that they won’t be able to board a flight if there is the slightest suspicion of a Covid-19 infection or if they have respiratory symptoms.”
Finavia, the Finnish airport operator, has also introduced new measures at Finnish airports. Customer-facing employees at the airports now wear surgical masks, floor stickers mark social distancing rules at airports, customer service points are equipped with plastic shields and hand sanitizer is available in various locations. According to medical experts, an aircraft is not a particularly risky environment to get an infection due to the highly efficient air conditioning and filters that keep the air very clean.
