Aer Lingus to deploy controlled boarding and contactless passes

Aer Lingus will board passengers in small groups as it steps up existing Covid-19 safeguards for passengers and crew ahead of re-starting flying.

Passengers and crew must already wear face masks on the few flights that Aer Lingus has continued to operate, a protection that the airline intends continuing.

The carrier said on Friday that it will board and disembark passengers in small groups, according to seat numbers.

At boarding gates it will ask travellers to scan their own boarding passes and show their ID to Aer Lingus staff, “making this process contactless”.

Cityjet pilots fear Scandinavian crew will replace them

---

Ryanair calls on State to axe ‘ineffective’ quarantine plan

---

Ryanair to challenge Lufthansa’s €9bn aid

---

Car dealer Inchcape sees Covid-19 impact until next year

---

The airline will use hospital-grade disinfectant on all hard surfaces when it is cleaning craft.

Passengers will be reminded to wash their hands regularly, maintain social distancing and limit contact with surfaces as they move through airports.

The measures are in line with recommendations published last week by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

Ryanair proposed similar steps for passengers recently when it announced plans to resume 40 per cent of its flying schedule from July 1st.

Modern aircraft use air filtering systems that provide the same protection as hospital intensive care wards.

Peter O’Neill, Aer Lingus chief operations officer, said the new procedures would mean that “flying is going to be different for the next while”.