Air Canada and WestJet are ending their seat distancing policy. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. WestJet is adopting IATA's recommendations with respect to seat distancing effective July 1st, 2020. WestJet is a highly safety sensitive organization in one of the most carefully regulated industries and every decision we make has the safety of our guests and WestJetters at the forefront. They have also implemented enhanced aircraft cleaning and scaled back their in-flight service in late March, cutting out hot drinks, hot meals and fresh food. Air Canada, WestJet to Drop Physical Distancing Policies as Air Travel Ticks up. Published June 26 2020. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. What makes an airplane, and the entire journey, safe is the layers of enhanced cleaning, the wearing of masks and the hospital-grade HEPA filters that remove 99.999 per cent of all airborne particles. According to WestJet officials, because their flights have HEPA filters installed to clean recirculated air and the air flows from the ceiling to the floor, it did not need the extra barrier of distanced seating. WestJet Is Officially Ending Social Distancing On Flights & Opening All Seats Again The seats will provide physical barriers instead. The blocked middle seat was introduced at the beginning of the pandemic before the myriad of safety measures were put in place and mandated on board. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. The hygiene standards we have now are world-class and backed by industry experts. Air Canada and WestJet are ending their seat distancing policy. My expectation would be to hear from all of. With a vaccine not yet produced, we are learning to live responsibly with the virus as it’s here with us for the foreseeable future. The Canadian Press. Shaoni Das. The seats will provide physical barriers instead. It is a priority for CBC to create a website that is accessible to all Canadians including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. "Moving forward, our cabin crew are able to assist should there be space to accommodate and we encourage guests to discuss seating arrangements with them once onboard," said spokesperson Morgan Bell. WestJet Airlines Ltd. says it will end its seat distancing policy on board its aircraft starting July 1. Air Canada has blocked the sale of immediately adjacent seats in economy class, and WestJet has done the same throughout the entire plane, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. MONTREAL – The two main airlines in the country end their seat distancing policies on their aircraft as of July 1, which raises health concerns in the midst of a pandemic that devastated the airline industry. Starting on July 1, Air Canada and WestJet said they would drop their seat distancing policies and be booking flights at normal capacity again. "It doesn't get much worse than this.". Transport Canada listed physical distancing among the key ways to help prevent the spread of the virus in a guide issued to the aviation industry in April. Adrian Dix says he wants proof that it's safe for Air Canada and WestJet to scrap their seat distancing measures, he says wearing masks on board planes is not an alternative to physical distancing Transport Canada says it's encouraging Airlines to space out their passengers, but those measures are not mandatory. From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, WestJet invested quickly in hygiene and safety measures to mitigate the risk throughout the entire travel journey, investing millions of dollars’ worth of equipment, cleaning and additional measures to protect those who had to fly. This WestJet update said that the change is set to go into effect on Wednesday, July 1. The country's two largest airlines are ending their on-board seat distancing policies starting July 1, raising health concerns amid a pandemic that has devastated the travel industry. Earlier in the day from Edmonton to Vancouver we had over 100," said WestJet flight attendant Chris Rauenbusch, president of CUPE Local 4070. Our temporary distancing measures were enacted at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak to provide our guests who had to travel with the peace of mind while our extra hygiene measures were planned and implemented. Seat Distancing. The carriers said Friday they will revert to health recommendations from the United Nation's aviation agency and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) trade group. With the many safeguards and procedures implemented, we are certain travel can be undertaken safely while allowing for economies to begin growing again and putting Canadians back to work. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Log In. News Calgary. Air Canada has blocked the sale of adjacent seats in economy class, and WestJet has done the same throughout the entire plane, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Both airlines announced on Friday they'll be switching back to boarding planes at full capacity on July 1, as opposed to blocking the sale of adjacent economy class seats to prevent the spread of COVID-19 like they've been doing. “At the height of it, it was common to have under 20 people on a plane. Hope is on the horizon, however. In response to changes with international travel guidelines, both Air Canada and WestJet have announced the removal of seat distancing protocol on domestic flights starting July 1. If you're looking to smile, you’ve come to the right place. • Removal of all published material on board to reduce the risk of spread via contact Air Canada, WestJet To End Physical Distancing Policies On Planes The airlines had blocked the sale of adjacent seats in economy class. "The new measures will continue to build on the recommendations of ICAO (the UN's International Civil Aviation Organization) and others that a multi-layered strategy to COVID-19 safety is most effective," Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick said in an email. The Calgary-based airline made the announcement Friday in a release following a review of the International Air Transport Association's guidance. "Operators should develop guidance for spacing passengers aboard aircraft when possible to optimize social distancing," the document states. • Electrostatic fogging on our aircraft "At the height of it, it was common to have under 20 people on a plane. However Joseph Allen, director of the Harvard public health school's Healthy Buildings program, said the HEPA air filters used on most planes effectively control airborne bacteria and viruses. Seat distancing was never intended to be in place permanently or throughout the pandemic. We believe that we are doing all we can to ensure those who are comfortable with it can travel safely and responsibly on our aircraft. Seat distancing was one of the first measures we adopted temporarily before WestJet implemented: • Transport Canada-mandated mask wearing for both employees and guests • Transport Canada-mandated health questionnaire pre-boarding • Electrostatic fogging on our aircraft Dix says he would like to hear from federal agencies to allay fears or explain why they've allowed Air Canada and WestJet to end the seat-distancing policies to prevent the spread of COVID-19. WestJet retreats on labour code exemption that would facilitate mass layoffs, Canada's airlines ease into expanded summer service with added safety protocols, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. WestJet Airlines Ltd. is ending its seat distancing policy on board its aircraft starting July 1, raising health concerns amid a pandemic that has devastated the travel industry.. For the past few months, Air Canada has blocked the sale of adjacent seats in economy class, and WestJet has done the same throughout the entire plane, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. • Non-contact temperature scanning at all our bases. "Once it's in the cabin, it's difficult to stop air moving around," said Tim Sly, an epidemiologist and professor emeritus at Ryerson University's School of Public Health. Canadians are beginning to brave air travel again as confinement measures lift, though Manitoba and the Maritimes still have strong restrictions on interprovincial travel in place while other provinces discourage it. With domestic air travel starting to nudge higher, WestJet says it … Swoop, a budget airline owned by WestJet, added eight weekly flights in June with 12 more coming in July after the carrier cut capacity to a single line of flights per day — Halifax-Hamilton-Edmonton-Abbotsford and back. In line with federal directives, Air Canada and WestJet conduct pre-boarding temperature checks and require masks on board. The move comes as Provincial governments across Canada lift travel restrictions and domestic air travel begins to pick up. Transport Canada listed physical distancing among the key ways to help prevent the spread of the virus in a guide issued to the aviation industry in April. Published on June 26, 2020. Air Canada and WestJet are ending their seat distancing policy. "We're in this minus 95 per cent mode right now," Swoop president Charles Duncan said in an interview. But from Vancouver just now I brought in 65. But from Vancouver just now I brought in 65. See where we fly, what’s happening up in the sky and stay up-to-date with everything WestJet. Transport Canada listed physical distancing among the "key points" in preventing the spread of the virus as part of a guide issued to the aviation industry in April. We have been working tirelessly for Canadians to ensure their health and safety and our operations today are no different in that regard. The airline has blocked the purchase of middle seats and adjacent seats for the past few months to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Air Canada has blocked the sale of immediately adjacent seats in economy class, and WestJet Airlines has done the same throughout the entire plane, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. WestJet and Air Canada have announced on Friday that they will be lifting policies that restrict the sale of seats for physical distancing as of July 1, 2020. • Modifications to inflight service to reduce contact between guests and crew WestJet to eliminate physical distancing seating policy on its aircraft. Seat distancing was one of the first measures we adopted temporarily before WestJet implemented: • Transport Canada-mandated mask wearing for both employees and guests As we continue to manage through the ongoing effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic, we understand that you may have some questions regarding our reintroduction of the middle seat for sale. • Transport Canada-mandated health questionnaire pre-boarding Cities Market More. WestJet introduced Seat Distancing on April 1, 2020 and was the first national airline in Canada to introduce guaranteed social distancing on board the aircraft. Air Canada had previously blocked the sale of adjacent seats in economy class, and WestJet did the same throughout the entire plane, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. ckThe country’s two largest airlines are ending their on-board seat distancing policies starting July 1, raising health concerns amid a pandemic that has devastated the travel industry. MONTREAL -- The country's two largest airlines are ending their on-board seat distancing policies starting July 1, raising health concerns amid a pandemic that has devastated the travel industry. Air Canada and WestJet are ending their seat distancing policy. We understand that there will be different levels of comfort or confidence with travel right now. “Seat distancing was never intended to be in place permanently or throughout the pandemic.” The post notes a number of measures WestJet has taken to help stop the spread of COVID-19 on its flights, including mandatory masking, pre-boarding questionnaires for all passengers, temperature screening, thorough cleaning of aircraft between flights, and the restriction of in-flight … Good news for anyone who’s ever been trapped in the dreaded middle seat —in light of COVID-19 and the general social distancing rules, WestJet is selling less seats to give travellers more space.. From now until May 4th, 2020, the middle seat on WestJet’s Boeing 737s and 787s, and every other seat on its Bombardier Q400s will be unavailable to book. IATA called last month for an end to in-flight physical distancing rules, proposing a range of measures including some that run counter to federal government policies. The middle seat on our Boeing 737s and 787 aircraft and every other seat on our Bombardier Q400 has been made unavailable to book to ensure our guests and crew can continue to fly safely and have more space to … In response to criticisms, WestJet forwarded The Canadian Press a statement from a July 3 blog post regarding changes to its seat distancing policy. We have also repatriated thousands of Canadians to a safer environment back home in Canada. The carriers said Friday they will revert to health recommendations from the United Nation’s aviation agency and the International International Air Transport Association (IATA) trade group. The carrier has blocked the purchase of middle seats and adjacent seats for the past few months to prevent the spread of COVID-19. With our 737 MAX aircraft returning to service, we wanted to give you the opportunity to see what’s been going on behind the scenes, so you can have the same level of confidence in the... WestJet today announced further cuts to its schedule as the airline continues to face volatile demand and instability in the face of continuing federal government travel advisories and restrictions. Last week, the country's two largest airlines stated that they are ending their on-board seat distancing policies starting July 1, raising health concerns amid a pandemic that has devastated the travel industry. trip. MONTREAL, CANADA - The country's two largest airlines are ending their on-board seat distancing policies starting July 1, raising health concerns amid a pandemic that has devastated the travel industry. The country's two largest airlines are ending their on-board seat distancing policies starting July 1, raising health concerns amid a pandemic that has devastated the travel industry. In response to changes with international travel guidelines, both Air Canada and WestJet have announced the removal of seat distancing protocol on domestic flights starting July 1. WestJet said its online booking will return to normal on Wednesday. Air Canada has blocked the sale of adjacent seats in economy class, and WestJet has done the same throughout the entire plane, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. WestJet is proud to have served Canadians throughout this pandemic and while we have greatly reduced our service, we have maintained flying to 38 domestic cities to ensure that essential products, workers and services were able to get where they needed to be. WestJet Airlines Ltd. says it will end its seat distancing policy on board its aircraft starting July 1. Officials said because its flights have HEPA filters installed to clean … Sign up. Air Canada and WestJet will be putting an end to their social distancing policies in less than a week, and Canadians are in an uproar. Last week, the country’s two largest airlines stated that they are ending their on-board seat distancing policies starting July 1, raising health concerns amid a pandemic that has devastated the travel industry. IATA’s guidance supports the removal of seat distancing as the following protections are provided in the cabin: The installation of HEPA filters to help clean recirculated air (all WestJet aircraft are equipped with HEPA filters and fresh air is introduced every 2-3 minutes) The physical barrier of seat backs After blocking the sale of middle seats to promote physical distancing on its aircraft, WestJet is updating its safety protocols and eliminating this measure as demand for domestic travel, and space, increases. Latest Stories. 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