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LAST UPDATE | 5 May 2020
NORTHERN IRELAND’S HEALTH Minister Robin Swan has criticised Aer Lingus after pictures emerged of an almost-full flight from Belfast with no apparent evidence of social distancing measures.
Swann made his first public comments on images of the Belfast to London Heathrow flight today.
“I was shocked at the images of Aer Lingus,” he said.
“It was as if they were living in a time before Covid-19, completely oblivious of the regulations and social distancing and guidance that have been enunciated and published by our executive here and the government in Westminster.
“How they could think that the practice that they were actually carrying out was in any way in keeping with the guidance that we’ve been issuing?
“I think it’s a short, sharp shock to them that they should actually be behaving still in that manner and I would ask them publicly to actually revise that very quickly.”
Aer Lingus has initiated a review, stating today that any process changes required would be implemented as a “matter of urgency”.
Passenger on the flight, Sean Mallon, told BBC Radio Ulster there was “no social distancing whatsoever”.
“I would say there was about 95% of the seats taken on the flight,” he said.
In a statement, Aer Lingus said: “In light of the unexpectedly high loads on the Belfast–London Heathrow service this morning and the level of demand for the route, Aer Lingus is reviewing its processes and procedures applicable to the operation of this service.
“The safety and security of Aer Lingus’s customers and crew is our top priority and any process changes that are identified as being required will be implemented as a matter of urgency.”
The airline is looking to begin negotiations as it seeks to cut up to 20% of its workforce, amid wider concerns about the impact of the pandemic on the industry.
With reporting from Dominic McGrath and Press Association.
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“one passenger told me they weren’t given any advice on how to stay safe”. FFS, it’s not as if there hasn’t been numerous public health messages all over the place. A little bit of cop on goes a long way.
@Rob Gleeson™: exactly what i was thinking! We are each responsible for our actions. Still, i imagine this same person is someone who, if they got sick, would sue the airline and end up getting a nice payout because the airline didnt tell them to socially distance. Because thats the common sense-free world we live in.
@pZTahAXy: I would imagine that same person would also say… “why did you seat me in 6A right beside this guy iv never met in 6B?”…. And they’d be right.
@pZTahAXy: how can you social distance on a packed airplane. You cant. It’s impossible and that’s what the passenger was trying to say.
@pZTahAXy: these clowns out spending their time equating the safety of the nation to personal responsibility solely … make me laugh. Wake up.
@Glenn Halpin: Person must have been forced onto the flight at gunpoint.
@Glenn Halpin: or someone else could say “why did you choose to travel on a plane full of randomers?”
@Pseud O’Nym: I would imagine not many chose to fly. A family member was on one of these flights, he did not chose to fly, he had to for work, he doesn’t work he doesn’t get paid, who pays his mortgage, feeds his children??? His wife has already closed her business at a significant financial loss. The work is there so Covid payment does not apply to him. This is absolute greed on the Airlines behalf. Maybe these airlines should supply proper PPE for their passengers after all they flew to china to collect it, should have purchased some for their passengers. Lastly maybe the people on here banging on about cop on should actually try and think outside the box for once.
@David: Did it even occur to you that most likely this is work related? Aer Lingus should be totally ashamed of what they have done here
@David: Did it even occur to you that most likely this is work related? Aer Lingus should be totally ashamed of what they have done here
@Sandra McBride:
“I would imagine not many chose to fly. A family member was on one of these flights, he did not chose to fly, he had to for work, he doesn’t work he doesn’t get paid, who pays his mortgage, feeds his children???”
Your argument is so incredibly flawed. You argue that your relative had to fly to make money. Yet the airline who is providing a service, should fly someone making money and not make money themselves? Where does the airline get the money to pay their staff so they can eat?
@Wreck Tangle: there is nothing flawed about my comment actually. You sat behind a key board claiming people had a choice, did you not? He did not have a choice he has a mortgage to pay and a family to feed, the covid payment does not apply to him because he still has a job
@Sandra McBride:
Airlines also have staff, loans, airports to pay. So they fly people about to do business and keep a job, they do this at a massive loss.. Where does the money come from? How do they justify this to their staff, their lenders etc etc..
@Sandra McBride: só do you expect them to fly plane with quarter amount of passengers, who pays the fuel oh yeh that would be same passengers who think fares could stay same and not go through the roof, when all these people booked a flight did they think they’d get a plane to themselves, and as you can book seat a quick check would have shown it was quite full
@Glenn Halpin: if the person actually asks the question, and are told there is no other choice, then fair enough. Poor show on the airline (bearing in mind then other avenues open to that person, including not travelling, depending on their own individual appraisal of essential travel and risk). If the person doesnt however take responsibility to do so (either A or B) then we are back to poor personal decision making. Its raising after the fact something they clearly knew to be wrong in the first place. Again the not travelling option is always there. Arguably,as above,the airline is not in a position to decide whether or not a journey is essential, only the individual themselves can decide that, and appropriately weigh the risks and benefits of travel.
@Sandra McBride: if this is a work related decision, then the employer needs to consider whether this is an essential trip and ensure safe passage. Employers in most jurisdictions have obligations in this line.
@Macca Attack: i would imagine that you cant. But i would also imagine (expect ?) that in this day and age people would enquire about the distance planning by the airline (even Dublin bus and the luas manage this) beforehand and make a decision to travel on the basis of whether they think its safe. There is always the option of not flying (whether for work or pleasure) and its down to the individual to consider/ negotiate that. Employers have to comply with public health too. If people ask upfront then the airline is remiss in not addressing the needs. And if people insist on social distancing before flying, then the airlines are more likely to comply. But i have no sense of that having happened here. All a bit post hoc having my cake and eating it rather than use of common sense.
@pZTahAXy: how the hell can someone socially distance when they pack the flight for god sake. They have a duty to limit seat sales and spread them properly just like a restaurant or pub. Totally irresponsible
@Nell foran: packed flight or not the recycled air in a flight would cause easy transmission.
@Rob Gleeson™: stay of the flight! That’s the surest way to stay safe
@Sandra McBride: well if we go for social distancing every 2 rows would be empty and there’d be 2 people per row. So for a 190 seat plane there’d be 22 passengers. So there’s no economic sense to continue flying unless everyone of the 22 wishes to pay €600-€760!per sector to fly with no food or drink. So therefore no flying , no jobs reducing tax income to central government who are busily planting money trees to pay €350!covid payments to everyone in the audience. So those who complain may get their wish snd will be grounded. As a result the Belfast airports may never open again. And all for social distancing. Whatever happened to the Life of Brian spirit ? I laugh in the face of danger.
@Sandra McBride: if getting to work exposes you to risk then you choose not to go and are entitled to Covid pmt. your job is still safe. Let’s keep the facts clear!
Storm in a tea cup but I guess her twitter benefited though.
Still took the flight, want advice on how to maintain social distancing on a plane? Don’t use one..
@Wreck Tangle: so there’s one rule for some businesses and different rules for others?
@Wreck Tangle: Or wear a face mask at the very least, but don’t complain because there is no social distancing on a plane……so the question is how come planes can fly but we cannot get a pint lol, both are essential end of.
@Peter Hughes: please explain how having a pint is essential, how you put it into the same category as healthcare, emergency services, grocery retail? I would also query how much travel on the flight was also really essential?
@D Mems: Off license considered essential service.
Just sayin.
@Lad:
Ultimately this has nothing to do with law in ROI. It’s an internal flight within the UK. Provided by an Irish company with a British parent company.
@Wreck Tangle: Everyone is making such an effort to follow the rules and then we see the likes of Aer Lingus an d Keelings flout them at will. They took the passengers money and then knowingly packed them into a dangerous environment and don’t give me any crap about getting off the flight, not realistic.
@Jointheclubtoo:
On a personal level, I am a strong believer in the need for social distancing. I live abroad with 2 ageing parents, we know we won’t see each other this year and I hope that nothing happens to them during this year that forces me to make a choice about flying.
However, it is not the duty of airlines to police society. This is the job of a government. The person who took this photo and claims to be in danger? Did she get off the plane? No, so she was not one bit consequential. There is a good argument for flying half empty planes but this needs to be paid for by governments. Airlines doing this on their own initiative would go bankrupt in weeks.
@Jointheclubtoo: I think you’ll fun that Keelings didn’t flout any laws!
@Wreck Tangle: Great idea.. Sure you can pay the salary of those who must fly in order to work
@Peter Hughes: Explain why Aer Lingus filled this plane? Explain why passengers should supply their own masks? If you can’t answer I will…. Pure GREED.. What will you do if govt recommend next week the public wear masks but they don’t supply for you? There would be uproar… I can assure you very few want to be on a plane at this time
@Jointheclubtoo: you said it. Had a family member on one of these flights he was raging. Following every guideline to the letter here, had to fly for work and got treated like that. We give out about Ryanair, Aer Lingus are no better
@Wreck Tangle: Plain and simple Aer Lingus should not have done this
@Sandra McBride:
He “had to” fly for work.. Was it life or death? Normally, I am travelling constantly for work. My job is very difficult to do over the phone but we do it. Many of my colleagues are stuck in all sorts of places because very few people “have to fly” and they were told to stay where they are!
Anyways your expectation here is that airlines that are privately owned provide a service which in most cases is not life or death. They fly empty planes and subsidise people who “have to fly” by having empty seats and deepening their losses in the process?
This is very very simple. If you want social distancing on planes, write to your local TD and ask the government to subsidise airlines.
@Sandra McBride:
I disagree. AL is not a charity, it’s a public service but it is not publicly owned. It’s accountable to it’s shareholders first, then passengers. If they bankrupt themselves, then what? They cannot print money! Like it or not, they are operating within the law and it’s not their job to police society.
@Wreck Tangle: Aer lingus should have provided PPE to those Passengers end off. I’m not interested in how difficult your job is to do over the phone. His is off shore so totally impossible to do unless he is actually there. Like I said but you either don’t understand or refuse to take on board by the looks of it, He is not entitled to the Covid payment because he still has a job, so again I will say to you he and god knows how many others had no choice. Now you look after yourself and stay safe and well from the comfort of your home
@Sandra McBride:
Why should the airline pay for PPE??? Why doesn’t your relatives employer provide it?? They are sending him on a plane. If my boss insisted I fly to NY tomorrow I’d demand a hazmat suit from my employer!
Airlines are facilitators that enable people who need to go somewhere to get there. Trams, buses, trains do the same and they are not providing PPE, even though they are government subsidised). Social distancing on all public transport is valid, PPE is valid. My point is it shouldn’t be on the airlines to provide it. All airlines are losing money at the moment. Why should they lose for helping people to do business?
@Sandra McBride: did he think he was getting a private plane…. The other people on plane had every right to be on it as your relative, makes me laugh when people complain its like people giving out about how many were in park when they went for walk as if its OK for them but not everyone else
@D Mems: essential for people’s mental health to be able to go out and socialise
@Lad: Thats the way it always been Lad
@Trev Gilmore: wanna hear a true story? My health is worth more than any strangers mental health.
….& That’s the bottom line with everyone.
Sadly..
Message to the photo taker. You were one of those passengers too. If you felt that strongly about it you had the option of leaving the plane!!!
@Micheal S. O’ Ceilleachair: Like you would after paying your money and getting to the airport and boarding the plane, who are you shilling for?
@Jointheclubtoo: if I felt unsafe no matter the cost I would get on a plane.
@Micheal S. O’ Ceilleachair: Wow what a brilliant idea.. Maybe she was flying for work, maybe if she doesn’t work she doesn’t get paid. Did that occur to you?? She was dead right.. It’s like the lack of PPE in the HSE cover it up
@Sandra McBride: if she’s dead she won’t get paid either
@Sandra McBride: so, question to you. Are AL supposed to fly half empty planes so someone you know can work and pay their mortgage . By right unless the fly a half empty plane they should not be flying at all at the moment. Damned if they do and dammed if they don’t. I fly on about 15 trips a year all over the world as I used to think it’s a necessity, but guess what, when this is all over, I will rethink, as I found ways to do things I would never have done from home. Maybe when this is all over , the person you know might rethink their employment as to me any company that makes their employees fly in these times is not a very good employee. So instead of blaming Aer Lingus blame the company that she works for, blame the people that looked at the seat map on the plane but not AL.
@neube2b: You don’t say.. Are you still working? Are you expected to get to work under these conditions? Are you going to starve? Lose your home? Because your employment is not effected by Covid 19 so therefore you are entitled to nothing. I very much doubt it
@Micheal S. O’ Ceilleachair: great point.
@Chris Mc: I think I would get off the plane.
@Micheal S. O’ Ceilleachair:
Aer lingus answer is whitewash…..they knew long before the flight took off that it was full …just financial
@brian reid: if airlines have to fly half empty planes they will either put prices through the roof or they won’t fly them..
Social distancing on a plane is not possible. Providing masks may be the only solution.
We cannot have our cake and eat it
@brian reid: Yeah, those airlines are making such a fortune right now. Glad you worked that out. If you choose to fly then you know you will be with lots of people in a metal tube and the chances of infection is far higher than staying home. Take the car ferry if you need more space.
@brian reid: ofcourse they did. They don’t care.
@brian reid: of course they did, were they hoping that half the passengers wouldn’t turn up.
@Realist: Then put the prices through the roof.. Let the government assist companies whose staff must fly for work related reasons. But do not do this to unsuspecting passengers
@Diarmaid Mac Aonghusa: who said they chose to fly????
@Sandra McBride: “Let the government assist companies” which government?
@Sandra McBride: you always have a choice.
@John fitzpatrick: Really??? You are just incredible
@Earth Traveller: My brother flew from Dublin to Schipol for work on a packed to capacity flight.. So the government I refer to is the Irish one. Hope that answers your question
@Peter Murphy: plane wasn’t overcrowded it wasn’t actually full but now people think they have right to half a plane to themselves yet pay same fare
This is just not good enough….
We will never beat the virus unless we all pull together.
I wonder how this makes our frontline workers feel….
@Michael Craddock: What do you mean by “beating” the virus?
@Power Hitters: We all can beat the virus by depriving it of the ability to transmit from one person to another
@Power Hitters: Google it maybe
@Michael Craddock: it was a belfast to London. Unfortunately we can do nothing about it.
@Michael Craddock: Not to good and that’s from a frontline worker. My brother was a passenger on a flight like this, he has not seen my Mam in 2 months because he followed all guidelines. He must fly for work and that is not his choice. He actually could not believe his eyes when he stepped onto the plane.. These airlines should be ashamed of themselves allowing this to happen and should all in power
You can’t maintain social distancing on a plane, your sitting in a pressurised tube with the air being recycled multiple times per hour in the flight. Person A at the front is sharing the air with person B at the back. Taking temperatures and issuing face masks on boarding would be a basic precaution Aer Lingus…
@Chris: I believe most or all planes now use HEPA filters in their air circulation systems. If that’s the case there would remain value in spacing passengers apart on the same way as anywhere else. But yeah, face masks and screenings are a must in any case.
@Chris: The air is fully changed every 3 minutes and goes through hepa filters. It’s as clean as in a hospital operating room. It’s proximity to other people, who could be infected, that’s the danger.
Lets be real here, if you have to get a flight, use a mask, use a visor, use ANYTHING to protect yourself and assume everyone is infected. Its not their fault that the whole rest of the plane carried on as if there wasn’t a pandemic going on. Take some personal responsibility. I saw people with full gas masks and disposable overalls on the first leg of my repatriation flight, but on the second Dublin leg all of that got thrown away in favour of wearing shorts and a bitta banter. Its a pandemic and flights are a last resort, so do what you can to be protected.
@Paul Cunningham: Tell that to the unsuspecting passengers who have no choice but get on those flight
@Sandra McBride: no one put a gun to their head it’s a plane it has seats it has air-conditioning which is recycled so even if two on it same chance of infection
What is wrong with people ! Everyone had a choice ot get on. ” I wasnt given advice ” how old is this person and have they been living under a rock ? Air travel and general life is not compatible with social distancing at all times, anyone who has visited a supermarket over the past 6 weeks would have established that.
@Darren Moore: what is wrong with you?? Not everyone had a choice
@Darren Moore: what is wrong with you?? Not everyone had a choice
@Sandra McBride: Unless you are handcuffed to someone, You have a choice.
@Sandra McBride: why wouldn’t people have a choice , unless somebody has a gun to their head, everybody has the choice to not board the plane
“I’m annoyed because other people booked the same flight as me”
Why are all these people still flying? Unless they are healthcare workers transferring to site they have no excuse
@Random_paddy: They were all going over to help dismantle the Nightingale.
Money Money Money ….
Pandemic will never be beaten for greed…
@Gary O CONNOR:
Is it really greed though? It’s a flight within the UK.. Passengers would have the option to get off..
@Wreck Tangle: FFS its the airlines fault.
Cop on..
@Wreck Tangle: it’s not greed, it’s survival. Every airline in the world are haemorrhaging cash and teetering on the brink of administration… Aer Lingus are just trying to survive… but not even asking passengers to even attempt taking precautions is a PR disaster
@Gary O CONNOR: definitely the airlines fault that passengers choose to fly. Kind of like how it’s banks faults if customers choose to borrow
@Gary O CONNOR: The passengers should cop on, these sort of flights should be a last resort for them and if they can’t take international precautions of PPE usage and hand sanitiser rather than the UK and Irelands wishy washy 2 meter distance then why are they flying on a plane to begin with? These flights are as rare as hens teeth and should expect them to have this situation come up.
@Ciaran Whyte: Stupid comment. How can the airline be following social distancing rules by allowing a full flight to be booked? If I’m booking a seat in the plane I dont know how many people are going to be on it. The airline do though.
@Gary O CONNOR:
Cop on to what? Half empty planes make no money and let’s not even start on the carbon footprint per passenger. IAG has not come to Ireland looking for a bailout despite the fact that they have grounded planes everywhere and many other airlines are broke and seeking taxpayer money.
So they pay for grounded planes and they begin to fly planes with 1 person in every second row to achieve social distancing. What do we say when they come seeking a bailout?
@Wreck Tangle: Can you not understand it is not just about the individual, its about our responsibility to others. We are constantly reminded about it, how can you not grasp this?
@Jointheclubtoo:
I can completely understand but as usual people oversimplify things here. This is a private company, they have to be profitable, if their services are unprofitable, they lose money, which in the case of an airline model overheads, they go bust.
If we want planes to fly half empty, then this needs to come from government (in this case British government). This then gives airlines access to insurances or to negotiate subsidies from taxpayers to make up the loss of flying half empty planes. If they fly empty planes on their own initiative. They go bust and have to come looking for a bailout.
@Wreck Tangle: I don’t care if planes fly half empty or not. If they can’t make a profit within the law, don’t fly, Capitalism 101. What you are suggesting is socialism for huge profitable airlines and capitalism for the rest us.
@Jointheclubtoo:
I think you’d argue with your own shadow, or you just don’t understand actions and consequences. As an island. Ireland needs planes. If the airline goes bust, then the taxpayer has to bail them out. See Lufthansa and most airlines in US for example! Also a model of capitalism.
@Gary O CONNOR: That’s irrelevant really, my brother had to take a work related flight Dublin to Schipol exactly the same thing happened. It is a national disgrace
A number of issues here: airlines have been discussing taking temperature, wearing masks, and keeping the middle seat empty moving forward. Clearly Aer Lingus and others will only do this if ‘told’ and if not, don’t care and ‘review’. Also, was the traveller returning home, have extenuating circumstances, or an essential worker? Otherwise, they have no business on that plane in the first place…
@Bountyop: All airlines are at this
@Sandra McBride: I suspect you’re right- I don’t if there’s a ‘right’ way to do this…but they should ditch the pretence and either hike airfares and use precautions or just admit it’s a free for all…
How the hell did aer lingus say this was unexpected, surely they know how many tickets were sold and how many seats are available on their planes?
A review is a bit late to say the least
The health and safety should shut them down if it was any other business not complying with the 2m distance they would be shut down.
What’s a British airline flying between to British airports got to do with us? And yes Air lingus is a British airline.
@Chris Mc: Your some clown.
@Tim Quigley:
He’s kind of right, but also wrong.
IAG are a Spanish company headquartered in the U.K.
They own British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus & some others.
So they’re British in respect that their headquarters are there, but they’re also not British because they’re Spanish owned.
@Chris Mc: They are shuffling potential cases between Great Britain and Ireland- that’s what it has got to do with us…
On another note it’s great to see they have stopped calling paying customers Guests!
Aer Fungus. Never cared about staff flying let alone passengers. A few years ago they appointed people managers that were useless and were told to pressurise staff into flying when they could be out of hours from their home base. Would be waiting on the airbridge to confront staff
Now they jam pack passengers into a confined space inches apart during a World pandemic. Show very little has changed over the years.
@adrian j aungier: They got caught out and I’m delighted
If we lock down this island and don’t let anyone in or out, we can beat the virus! Yet, even if we beat it here, it surely will exist elsewhere, so we must extend these measures indefinitely! The airlines must go! Scuttle the ships! Nobody, and nothing, gets in or out! Hermit Eire, victorious over the corona scourge!
Go to sleep, Irish people. It’ll all be over soon.
Aer Lingus controls seat availability for allocation so any notion that this just happened is disingenuous.
Ok so here’s what I can’t understand, why was this not brought to someone’s attention BEFORE the flight took off. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t have boarded the plane.
Sounds like profits more important. Again.
Surely they knew the number of sold seats in advance. Probably needed at least 2 x planes or cap load to 50 per cent to distance properly. Their business models are screwed if they need to do that.
Providing each country are allowing tourists, I hope people just start booking their holidays like normal after all this is settled and things pick up pretty quickly.
It would be great if it just went back to how it was at the beginning of February for us (Ireland).
I’m still hoping to get somewhere at the end of the year! Canaries, Mexico, Mauritius or somewhere else warm.
@Peter: You might want to start looking at Waterford…
Genuine question ahead : if everyone on that plane wore a mask for the whole flight is there still an issue?is that sufficient to keep everyone safe?
@Stan Kowalskis: masks will give some protection…but what about getting on or off the plane using the gang way lots of surface to touch or airplane steps..handrails on each side….on opening the toilet doors..putting your luggage in the overhead bins ….it only takes one person who is infected to start the ball rolling
@brian reid: like when sean bean kissed his wife in ’28 weeks later’ only with less eye gouging!!!
@Fergal O’Hagan: Sean Bean?? Robert Carlyle.
How was it unexpected. It’s not a bus, people book tickets. Chancing their arm more like
Wheres the refunds .do we have to bring them to the small claims court. not vouchers
We didnt even receive a email to say the flight where cancelled
Just email after email saying we could take a voucher.
A flight from UK to UK, the UK has no quarrentined protacol in place and that’s the issue not Aer Lingus flying.
@A -AFC: agreed and UK leadership has been very poor, and as a result people have not taken it seriously. They are only half counting their deaths and they still have the most deaths in Europe. Unless you are high priority essential healthcare worker, no one should be flying from Belfast to London. What possible business could anyone have that is so important?
So much vituperation; not one sensible solution. Where have we left our brains?
Airline says jobs trump safety; passenger says job trumps safety. Safety is last in line. Result: virus continues to spread and, eventually airline goes bust and passenger is in the morgue. Bereaved family, and airline let’s everybody go. Lose, lose. Simples.
What were the people doing getting on the plane?
As far as we are all aware, flights are still running and there are no distinct measures for social distancing or other precautionary measures set down by UK or Irish Governments for airlines so this was allows capable of happening.. Unless of course the passengers themselves didn’t travel or when they saw the line for the flight at the airport, they could have chose to turn round and not fly.. But they didnt
#Profit before People
@Joey: what profit? Making massive losses atm I would assume.
Different rules Norden Ireland
Why are people travelling full stop? We are not allowed to drive more than a few miles in the UK, why is it acceptable to take a domestic flight ?
I can’t wait to get in airplane and get away the morons whinging in here. Bloody depressing idiots
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