Airlines happy with Tourism Ministry's health protocols

The local airline industry considers the Tourism Ministry's health protocols for this summer season to be feasible and realistic, after Minister Haris Theocharis recently presented the protocols' main points at an online event.

Internationally, the sector's focus is on whether social distancing will be deemed necessary during flights, which would lead to a drastic reduction in capacity and therefore the carriers' returns. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said at a recent press conference that if the middle seats stay empty the airlines will find it very hard to recover, while ticket prices would soar.

The Tourism Ministry's health protocols, which are about to become official, provide for full capacity for passengers, while flights of up to four hours will not include any food served to passengers besides packaged snacks. They also require...