- There are now guides on the ground to keep distances, as passengers wear face masks and check in luggage behind protective screens.
An Alicante-Barcelona domestic flight operated by Vueling late Monday afternoon became the first flight to comply with the new measures taken by Aena at the provincial airport to guarantee the safety of the operation and reduce the risk against covid-19.
Passengers had to move around the terminal with masks, keep the security distances which were painted on the ground, and check in their bags at a counter protected by the screens that are currently being placed at the more than 80 flight check ins.
At the moment, the activity in the terminal is still minimal since the state of alarm seriously limits travel, but Aena and the airlines have already started to test the new security protocols which need to be ready for 1 July, when many Airlines are expected to start their own de-escalation and the airport will return to normal.
This year, however, the traffic figures at the terminal will fall to the level of ten years ago, due to the lack of activity between March and June and the uncertainty that continues to determine how foreign tourism will respond in the second half of the year.
Alicante-Elche airport tests new measures against coronavirus
Monday’s flight between Alicante and Barcelona was the first to use the new measures which will now be adopted with connections this week to Norway, Sweden, Ukraine and Bulgaria.
On entering passengers will have to go through the required quarantine measures linked to the state of alarm, and exit passengers must comply with the measures that are already in force, including the use of masks at all times.
The provincial airport management has distributed hydrogels throughout the terminal so that passengers can regularly wash their hands, one of the main security measures. Inside the aircraft they are also required to fly with whilst wearing a mask and, until July 1, the aircraft cannot take passengers to their capacity.
Masks, ground signs to direct passengers, public address messages informing people about the rules as they move around the terminal, hydrogels, distances and everything necessary to comply with the new measures. This is the “new normal” for passengers moving through the Alicante-Elche airport.
Aena has already completed the renovation and expansion of the toilets that serve the boarding area. Their intention is to have the terminal 100% ready by July 1, when airlines are scheduled to resume their operations. Aena believes that the increase in online procedures will prevent queues but it will also depend on the companies themselves and the organisation of their flights.
