Europe Unveils Plans to Get Planes Back In Sky

By Staff, Agencies

European holidaymakers hoping to catch a plane this summer will have to wear masks and travel light under guidelines set out by the European Commission Wednesday.

The Commission unveiled sweeping proposals aimed at ensuring people can start travelling safely across the continent again as governments try to revive tourism and airline industries brought to a halt by the coronavirus.

Among the Commission's proposals, airlines and airports should insist passengers wear masks, and reorganize check-ins, drop-offs and luggage pickups to avoid crowds, it said.

Travelers should keep luggage and movement in the cabin to a minimum to reduce contact with staff.

The guidelines are not binding, but they may help form a framework for governments and companies in the bloc as restrictions due to the pandemic are lifted.

Still, the Commission - the EU's executive arm - did not touch on some of the more contentious measures that have been proposed for passenger safety, highlighting that tough decisions still need to be made about how planes can return to the skies.

Meanwhile, follow-up reports by the European Aviation Safety Agency and the European Center for Disease Control are expected to deal with those protocols in more detail in the next few weeks, the Commission said.