Qantas and Jetstar yesterday revealed the new look for airline travel once the COVID restrictions on travel are eased and international and intrastate border controls disappear in short social distancing rules will be not enforced on travel, but offered masks and revamped check-in procedures will be the new ’normal’.
“Social distancing on an aircraft is impractical,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce told media on Tuesday, saying an empty seat only provided a 60-centimetre gap between passengers.
To provide the recommended 1.5-metre distance between people would mean Jetstar could only board 22 passengers on a 180-seat Airbus A320, he said.
“That means airfares are going to be eight to nine times more than they are today,” Mr. Joyce said. “So if it’s not needed – and it isn’t needed by the medical advice – it definitely economically will not be justified.”
Qantas is currently operating only about 5% of its pre-pandemic domestic schedule. But Mr. Joyce says the airline could have as much of 50% of its capacity operating by July if the states open up their borders.
Social distancing on aeroplanes has become controversial, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global airline industry group, leading calls against the practice and warning it could cause airfares to jump by about 50%.
However, Air New Zealand is continuing to fly with an empty seat between passengers on domestic routes, while Reuters reported on Tuesday that US airline Delta plans to fly its planes at a maximum of 60% capacity, at least until July, by keeping some seats vacant.
Qantas said it and Jetstar will give masks to all passengers, use staggered boarding and disembarkation procedures to reduce crowding, and ask travellers to limit movement around airliner cabins in an effort to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission on flights.
But the airlines will no longer leave an empty seat between passengers on flights to enforce a level of social distancing on board, saying it is impractical, unnecessary, and would result in sharply higher airfares.
Qantas Group medical director Ian Hosegood said the risk of catching coronavirus on a plane was extremely low due to the fact air in the cabin runs through hospital-grade HEPA filters every five minutes, removing 99.9% of all particles including viruses.
He also said passengers also do not sit face-to-face, while high backs of aircraft seats act as a physical barrier.
“As far as the virus goes, an aircraft cabin is a very different environment to other forms of public transport,” Dr. Hosegood said. “The risk is infinitesimal.”
Several airlines including American Airlines, Delta, and Qatar Airways require all passengers to wear masks on board.
Qantas and Jetstar will provide masks to all passengers but wearing them will not be mandatory.
Other measures to roll out across Qantas and Jetstar from June 12 include:
Pre-flight
- Contactless check-in (via online/app) and self-serve bag drop will be strongly encouraged
- Hand sanitising stations at departure gates
- Temporary changes to Qantas Lounges, including increased physical distancing, hand sanitising stations, enhanced disinfection of surfaces and adjustments to food and drink service
Onboard
- Enhanced cleaning of aircraft with a disinfectant effective against coronaviruses, with a focus on high contact areas – seats, seatbelts, overhead lockers, air vents and toilets.
- Sanitising wipes given to all passengers to wipe down seat belts, trays and armrests
- Simplified service and catering to minimise contact for crew and passengers
Qantas shares rose 3.5% to $3.50 on a day when the wider market was up nearly 100 points or 1.8%.
