Hand luggage that is not required on board can currently be handed in free of charge at self-service counters. Boarding should take place in small groups in order to be able to keep the distances.

Austrian Airlines made its comeback in regular scheduled air traffic early on Monday morning. The carrier advises that it is compulsory to wear a face mask on board the aircraft. However, this is not a regulation that the carrier has introduced itself, but the Republic of Austria ordered the wearing of these mechanical barriers in the cabins a few weeks ago. This applies to both passengers and staff.

After a break of about three months, an Austrian Airlines Embraer 6 took off on Monday at 30 a.m. for Munich. At the same time, the COVID-195 protective measures were presented to the public. The Lufthansa subsidiary has now also included the wearing of MNS masks in the general conditions of carriage. Specifically, this means that the refusal to use them will lead to the refusal of transport. It is also compulsory to wear masks in the terminals at Vienna International Airport.

“I am delighted that Austrian Airlines is starting its scheduled flights again and that we can concentrate on flight operations together again. Together we take numerous measures to ensure the safety of our passengers and employees. We are thus also complying with the safety recommendations of the European flight safety authority EASA, which is already working on the development of international standards and is therefore a pioneer in Europe. We are actively involved here, Vienna Airport recently became an EASA Test Airport, ”says airport director Julian Jäger.

Austrian Airlines still allows you to take hand luggage with you, but recommends that you hand it in at so-called self-service check-in desks. Here it should be possible to hand over items of luggage without contact. Hand luggage that is not absolutely necessary on board is currently free of charge and is intended to speed up boarding and alighting. In future, passengers will have to scan their boarding passes themselves. Boarding should take place in small groups so that the distance rules can be adhered to. If the passengers are brought from the gate to boarding by bus, the number of passengers per bus is significantly reduced.

On board, every passenger receives a disinfectant wipe as soon as they board. If the load permits, the passengers in the aircraft are also placed as far away as possible. In addition, so-called "HEPA filters" (High Efficiency Particle Absorber) are used on board all Austrian Airlines aircraft, which remove 99,9 percent of all viruses, bacteria and particles from the air. Air is exchanged in the aircraft every three minutes, with 60 percent fresh air and 40 percent recirculation air, which is cleaned by the HEPA filter. Since the air flow only takes place vertically in the aircraft, there is no distribution of the air between the rows of seats.

“At Austrian Airlines, safety has top priority at all times, which of course also includes health protection. Together with Vienna Airport and medical experts, we have therefore put together a protection concept that covers the entire travel chain. I am convinced that this will enable us to achieve the optimal balance between security and service, ”explains Austrian Airlines CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech.