Italy’s civil aviation authority Enac has threatened to ban
Ryanair from flying to and from the country for alleged breaches of its
Covid-19 air travel safety regulations.
Enac claims the Irish carrier has ‘consistently’ failed to
meet measures set by the Italian government to allow airlines to operate at
full capacity rather than enforcing social distancing on board aircraft. The
measures include the mandatory use of face masks by cabin crew and passengers.
The regulator warned that if the alleged breaches continue,
it will consider taking action such as allowing the carrier to sell only half the
seats on its aircraft or banning Ryanair from its airports altogether.
Ryanair denies Enac’s claims, calling them “factually
incorrect” and saying it fully complies with all coronavirus measures set out
by both the Italian government and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency
(EASA) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). It said
all passengers are encouraged to check in online and that its boarding process
is contactless to limit contact between passengers and staff at the airport. It
said it has also changed its boarding procedures to avoid the gathering of
passengers at gates and on board aircraft, including limiting carry-on baggage
to prevent hold-ups in the boarding process. All passengers and crew are required
to wear a face mask throughout the journey, according to the airline.