easyJet resumes 51 routes from Portugal bringing fresh hopes for a revival in tourism

easyJet has resumed services flying 51 of its 64 routes from Portugal’s four main airports, which include Lisbon, Porto, Faro, and the island of Funchal.

OTHER destinations where easyJet will fly from Portugal are the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, and Italy.

However, there will be fewer flight frequencies on offer as easyJet predicts that it will fly around 80 per cent and 92 per cent of the routes that serve Portugal in the summer months.

easyJet globally plans to fly 50 per cent of its 1,022 routes in July and 75 per cent in August, although with a lower frequency of flights equivalent to about 30 per cent of normal capacity from July to September.

These measures also include improved cleaning and disinfection of airplanes and the requirement that passengers and crew must wear masks. Customers will be able to practise social distance at airports, at gates, and during boarding. Onboard, and whenever possible, the crew will invite passengers to distance themselves from customers who do not belong to the same group when seats are available.

Additional cleaning and disinfection procedures for aircraft cabins are at the top of a daily cleaning schedule. All planes will be subject to a daily disinfection process, which provides surface protection against viruses for at least 24 hours.

All passengers and crew will have to wear masks on board at all times. To minimise crew movements within the cabin and maintain the highest levels of hygiene possible, the Bistro e-Boutique service will not be available.

In addition, all flights will be supplied with extra sanitary equipment, including masks, gloves, and hand sanitiser, to ensure that they are always available to customers and crew on board, if necessary.

Hepa filters for clean air 

easyJet airplanes are already equipped with the most advanced air filtration technology, using high-efficiency particle detention filters or HEPA filters, with the ability to capture 99.97 per cent of airborne contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria. These filters are the same as those used in hospitals and through them, the air in the cabin is constantly filtered and replaced and fresh air is introduced into the cabin every three to four minutes.

Border with Spain reopens bringing another boost to Portugal’s tourist industry

Spain and Portugal’s prime ministers on Wednesday officially reopened their joint border to all travellers after a three-month closure to prevent the spread of coronavirus. In the presence of Spain’s King Felipe and Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa solemnly opened the border.

All other travel restrictions within the European Union were lifted last week.

“Our shared prosperity and common destiny within the European project depend on this border being open,” Costa tweeted earlier on Wednesday.

“The pandemic offered us a new vision of the past we do not want to come back to: a continent with closed borders.”