Airline passengers advised to check in all luggage

Airline passengers are being advised by the Government not to take any hand luggage on flights as part of measures to slow the spread of Covid-19.

Travellers should check in all baggage before boarding flights, according to the new guidance.

Airlines generally charge additional fees for putting luggage in the hold.

Checking in a 15kg bag for an easyJet flight from Gatwick to Glasgow on Monday costs an additional £23.99.

British Airways is charging £25 for putting a 23kg bag in the hold for passengers with the cheapest fare on a flight from Heathrow to the same destination on the same date.

Other advice for passengers issued by the Government includes wearing face coverings in airports and remaining seated as much as possible during flights.

Airlines are being encouraged to extensively clean aircraft, increase the availability of handwashing and hand sanitiser, and reduce face-to-face interactions between staff and passengers.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Today’s guidance is a positive next step towards ensuring a safer and more sustainable aviation sector.

“The Government’s advice currently remains to avoid all non-essential travel, but today we are taking the necessary steps to ensure a framework is in place for the aviation industry to bounce back when it is safe for restrictions on travel to be lifted.”

Tim Hawkins, chief strategy officer at Manchester Airports Group, which owns and operates Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports, said the guidance offers “clear information for us, our passengers and our airlines on the steps needed to create a safe travel experience”.

He added: “The guidance is the result of strong collaboration between Government and the aviation industry, drawing on advice from independent medical and scientific experts who have looked specifically at what safety measures are needed at each stage of the travel process.

“With similar protocols being adopted in other countries, and a targeted approach to reopening travel to low-risk countries, we will have the elements in place to get our economy moving again and protect jobs throughout the whole aviation supply chain.”