The European Commission will present a set of rules next month, including respect for social distance at airports and planes, for the safe reopening of air transport when quarantines to combat the pandemic are lifted,
Airlines have warned that measures to slow the spread of the pandemic could affect the sector's profitability long after restrictions are lifted. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has estimated that the crisis could cost airlines 314 billion dollars.
IATA director Alexandre de Juniac told Reuters on April 14 that he expects the resumption of flights to include the obligation to leave the seat in the middle of the rows empty on passenger flights. Such a measure could also help avoid a price war between companies as they try to regain market share.
Special conditions to fly after the pandemic
An Italian company wants to revolutionize air travel during the pandemic, in an attempt to reduce as much as possible the huge losses caused to airlines by traffic restrictions.
Avio Interiors has invented a kind of protective shield around each seat, so that the passenger is protected by those around him and in turn protects. The system would eliminate the need to modify aircraft from the start so that there is appreciable space between seats and would also help air carriers to board more passengers, as they do not have to sell fewer tickets to meet social distance, the company said.
Another concept of the Italians provides that the middle seat be turned upside down. Such a reconfiguration would lead to increased protection for the three passengers in a row and give the passenger in the middle seat more space. These concepts can be the answer to following the rules of social distance without using measures that would leave empty seats on the plane.
The coronavirus, which began spreading in December 2019, has led to a sharp drop in demand for air travel to the United States since February. The reduction in global air capacity, measured by how many seats remain grounded, is now greater than after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, industry analysts say. But Avio hopes the world will take the sky again and thinks he has a concept to get him there. The project was designed to debut at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, but the event was canceled due to the virus.
The protective shield, or Glassafe, is a kit-level solution that can be installed on existing seats to ensure safe approach among passengers in the same row, as first reported by The Drive. "Glassafe" is made of a transparent material to make the whole cabin harmonious and light aesthetically, but perfectly fulfilling the objective of creating an isolated volume around the passenger, to avoid or minimize contacts and air interactions between passenger and passenger ", transmits Avio Interiors on its Instagram page.
The shield is formed so as to leave a complete accessibility to the accessories normally installed on the back, such as tables, magazine pockets, clothes hooks or others ", says the manufacturer. "Glassafe" can be made of opaque material or with different degrees of transparency, all of which are easy to clean. "A separate rendering suggests rotating the middle seat in the opposite direction, giving all three passengers a protective barrier, and the middle occupant has more space than the traditional configuration.
Named "Janus" after the two-sided Roman god, the arrangement "allows all three passengers to be separated by a shield made of transparent material that insulates them from each other, creating a protective barrier for everyone," Avio added. his. "Each passenger has his own space isolated from the others, even from people walking down the aisle." However, airlines should adjust the rows, and placement may make it difficult to serve food or evacuate in an emergency. The company has patented both products and says it is ready to start production.
