30 / travel HYGIENE
The new normal Hygiene has moved to the top of the agenda for travellers. Jo Austin discovers how airlines and suppliers are cleaning up their act
T
he COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on global aviation, rail and cruise sectors, and all are working to discover a ‘new normal’ post-pandemic. The strongest focus for both operators and suppliers has been on passenger hygiene and safety from disease risk. These priorities are now at the heart of every element of the passenger journey. The global advice on social distancing has been the biggest practical challenge, and while leaving one seat or even a row empty between
passengers may be possible in times of low demand, it is clearly not financially sustainable in the longer run when, according to IATA, load factors need to average 77 per cent for airlines to break even. Aircraft interiors specialists have scrambled to find new seating configurations and barrier shields that might help, but ultimately the likes of IATA, APEX and EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) seemed to agree it was guidelines around the mandatory use of facemasks for passengers and crew which were
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