Wizz Air to resume London flights to Spain, Portugal and other destinations from today
LOW-cost airline Wizz Air has resumed flights from London Luton Airport today.
The carrier said it would restart selected flights with "enhanced" health and safety measures amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
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Cabin crew will be required to wear masks and gloves on all flights and will distribute sanitising wipes for passengers, the airline said in a statement.
New distancing measures will also be introduced during boarding and aircraft will be disinfected overnight, while passengers will also be required to wear face masks and onboard magazines will be removed from the aircraft.
From May 1, flights resumed from Luton to selected airports in Hungary, Portugal, Spain and Israel.
Owain Jones, Wizz Air UK's managing director, said: "As we restart selected Luton flights to provide an essential service to passengers who need to travel, our primary concern is the health, safety and well-being of our customers and crew.
"The protective measures that we are implementing will ensure the most sanitary conditions possible.
"We encourage our customers to watch our new video on how to stay safe when travelling, as well as for more details on our new health and safety measures."
Customers will be asked to check in and make any additional payments for services - such as additional bags - online to reduce physical interaction at the airport.
Passengers will also be "encouraged" to make any on-board purchases using contactless payment methods, the Hungarian-owned airline said.
Earlier we reported how the boss of Gatwick Airport said travellers should be made to take coronavirus tests 48 hours before take off once lockdown ends.
The terminal’s chief executive also called for passengers to carry “health passports” to prove they have the all-clear and wear face covers while on flights.
Similar compulsory measures are already being considered elsewhere in Europe after the deadly outbreak crippled global travel.
: “Whether these tests should be carried out in the airports or whether they would be better carried out in the communities are things that should be debated.
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“For example, would it be better for a passenger to arrive at an airport with some sort of certification that said ‘I have been checked over the last 48 hours and I am Covid-free?’
“Those are the sorts of things that I am sure will be considered by the restart and recovery group.”
He added: “Passengers increasingly are travelling wearing facial coverings and I am sure that’s something that the government team will be considering.”
