Face masks will be made available to United Airlines passengers as part of new measures as the carrier prepares for the post-coronavirus world when travel restrictions are lifted.
The masks are among new measures being introduced by the giant US airline from May – mirroring action taken by Lufthansa and Wizz Air.
United’s chief customer officer Toby Enqvist, outlining how the airline is adapting to the “new normal”, said: “Safety has always been our top priority, and because of that, the social distancing and cleaning procedures that have become a way of life for all of us are now staples of the way we run our airline.
“When you’re ready to fly, you’ll see that a lot has changed at the airport and on board our aircraft.”
He added: ”We’re boarding fewer customers at a time and starting from the back of the plane to avoid crowding in the gate area, on the jet bridge and in the aisle.
“We’re automatically blocking middle seats to give you enough space on board, requiring all our employees on board, including our flight attendants, to wear masks and, in early May, making masks available to our customers.
“Of course, these measures are in addition to our state‑of‑the‑art sanitization procedures like cleaning our aircraft with electrostatic sprayers, and extra precautions like taking our employees’ temperatures before they start work to protect the well‑being of our customers and colleagues.”
United has waived fees to change or cancel flights until the end of 2020.