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Poland to unfreeze flights in 3 stages

23.05.2020 12:00
Poland’s Infrastructure Ministry has unveiled details on unfreezing the aviation  market after the COVID-19 pandemic. Deputy minister Marcin Horała on Saturday announced three stages of bringing air traffic back to normal.
Lot airplane
Lot airplaneLOT press kit

The process will first see the return of domestic flights as of June 1, as announced this week.

In the second stage, after the country’s borders are reopened, Poland will start restoring international connections within the European Union with the countries that have lifted epidemic restrictions, Horała said. Authorities are in touch on this with governments of other member states, he added. The first international flights are expected to resume in mid-July.

In the third stage Poles will be allowed to make long-haul flights to Asia and North America, Horała said. He declined, however, to give any details saying the links will be restored at the first possible moment to ensure passenger safety at both the start and end of the journey. Sanitary measures and social distancing rules will be kept up for passengers and airport staff .

On Friday, Poland’s state-run news agency PAP said the government plans to extend a ban on international flights by two weeks until June 6, citing infrastructure ministry documents. "Due to the epidemic it is necessary to extend the period of air traffic bans for a further 14 days for international flights and a further 8 days for domestic flights," said a new regulation issued by the ministry.

The current regulation on the suspension of all flights expires today.

Poland's state-owned airline LOT said earlier this month that it would not resume flights before the end of May. As of Saturday, Poland has reported 20,838 coronavirus cases, including 990 deaths.

Source: PAP, IAR

(mo)