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Aer Lingus will make additional flights on the busy Belfast-London Heathrow service after images of a nearly full flight appeared yesterday.
Photos were shared from inside the cabin of an Aer Lingus flight traveling from Belfast, where no apparent evidence of social distancing measures could be seen.
Aer Lingus has carried out a review in consultation with the Belfast City Airport and has made the decision to implement various measures.
This was the @Aer Lingus flight from @BELFASTCITY_AIR to @londonheathrow this morning at 8:45. There is no social distancing: a passenger told me that they had not given any advice on how to stay safe. More in @BBCevex following @taramillstv @NewsDeclan pic.twitter.com/eeAfcGf23O
– Kelly Bonner (@KellyBonner) May 4, 2020
The airline said that all customers due to travel on the Belfast-London Heathrow service have been contacted and have been advised to leave additional time at the airport prior to their flight.
“The check-in process will take longer as more bags will be checked into the hold of the plane,” said a statement from the airline.
“In addition, there will be changes to the shipping procedure and there will be no on-board service provided on board.”
Due to high demand on the route, an additional flight frequency has been introduced on each day of operation.
The two services will leave at 8.45 a.m. and at 9.45 a.m. every day of operation.
Additional flights are expected to see a reduction in “unexpectedly high loads” on the flight.
“The Belfast – London Heathrow service is provided to maintain a vital air link between Belfast and London and to allow critical workers to travel where necessary,” said Aer Lingus.
“The safety of Aer Lingus customers and crew is our number one priority, and these process changes are urgently implemented.”
This afternoon, Stormont Health Minister Robin Swann said he was surprised to see images of the busy flight.
“It was as if they lived in a pre-Covid-19 era, completely oblivious to the regulations and the social distancing and orientation that have been enunciated and published by our executive here and the government in Westminster,” Swann said.
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