The coronavirus epidemic continues in Portugal and the 1,000 death mark has been surpassed. Nevertheless, Portugal ended the state of emergency to pass to the state of calamity, allowing the partial resumption of the activity. Among the sectors that are still impacted, that of international air traffic, which does not really know when and how it will be able to get out of this crisis. In order to protect passengers but still ensure economic viability, Portugal has decided to impose a 2/3 occupancy limit for international flights. This will generate additional costs for passengers and a logistical and financial challenge for airlines. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant, tells you all about limiting the. number of passengers on international flights to Portugal.
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International flights: Portugal imposes a limitation of 2/3 of passengers
According to an order published this Saturday in Diário da República, signed by the Assistant Secretary of State for Communications, "the maximum number of passengers admitted by plane is reduced to two thirds of the capacity normally provided". The standard comes into force this Sunday and aims to "ensure the proper distance between passengers" as well as "their safety".
There will, however, be exceptions to the rule. The passenger limitation will not apply to aircraft with a maximum capacity of 19 seats. These operators, "providing commercial air transport, provide the service in a supply model different from the others".
Although this rule applies as of this Sunday May 3rd, there is still no official date for resumption of regular international flights. This coordination will surely have to be done at European level. As a reminder, the external borders of the Schengen area are closed until September.
It’s possible to check the law (in Portuguese) by clicking here.
Also excluded from the new rule are flights "specifically intended for the repatriation of citizens, whether under the European civil protection mechanism, or non-scheduled flights contracted by the Portuguese State or by other States".
This exception to the 2/3 rule also applies to commercial flights "of air carriers, national or foreign, insofar as they are used to carry out repatriation operations".
The ordinance also excludes from the two-thirds rule “non-scheduled commercial flights contracted by companies, to transport employees to their place of work, em justifying the movement with a work or service contract in the country of destination, with which Portugal maintains open flights ”. In the latter case, the exemption only applies under certain rules.
It is necessary that "no passenger shows symptoms", that "the workers hold a residence permit as immigrant workers in the country of destination" and that "the return to Portugal of one of they will not be operated until at least two months ".
Still in this situation, workers will also have to accept "the sanitary rules imposed upon arrival in the country of destination, namely any quarantines". In all cases where exceptions are made, passengers should be "distributed in places that minimize contact with each other".
The new law also specifies that passengers "transported by exceptional flights are not exempt from visual inspection and verification of temperature by infrared thermal cameras or any other means applied at national airports, as well as from any secondary control in case of detection of a feverish state on arrival ".
Airlines, already strongly established by the exceptional reduction in the number of flights, will have to find solutions in order to maintain their margins while having 1/3 less capacity.
