Italy has eliminated the obligation to maintain the distance of one meter between aircraft passengers, a measure used to prevent contagion by the coronavirus pandemic. As of this Monday the planes will be able to go full, as long as special filters are adopted that purify the air.
This decision could be observed in the annex to the decree law passed this week which sets out the new rules for phase 3 de-escalate in the country. This explains that passengers must wear masks and seats must remain upright, but it will not be necessary to leave space as long as the air is purified every three minutes with EPE filters, which are those that are installed on virtually all aircraft.
Some airlines had protested this obligation requiring them to, for example, keep the seat free in the middle of each row of three.
The “technical annex” of the last decree repeats the “obligation of interpersonal estrangement of one metre on board the aircraft, within the terminals and all other facilities of the airport (e.g. buses for passenger transport)”.
However, it is allowed to repeal the interpersonal distance of one meter on board the aircraft, “in case the air on board is renewed every three minutes, the flows are adopted vertical filters and EPE, since these precautions allow a very high air purification”.
Other conditions include that the maximum duration of use of the surgical mask does not exceed four hours, providing replacement for longer periods
