British Airways passengers complain about packed flights in Europe and passengers without masks as more airlines restart flights after lockdown 

• Passenger complained that BA are 'squeezing' passengers onto busy flights 
• Passengers pictured seated next to each other, in defiance of social distancing
• BA responded by saying it is 'personal choice' whether passengers wear masks 

British Airways passengers have complained about packed flights in Europe and passengers without masks as other airlines make plans to restart flights this summer. 

BA have defended themselves by saying it is 'personal preference' whether passengers on board their flights wear facial masks or not and that they are devising new safety procedures for a post-coronavirus world. 

The airline industry as a whole is struggling to survive as coronavirus devastates traveler numbers - British Airways has already announced plans to lay off 12,000 staff. 

Operators are struggling to devise ways to ensure social distancing on flights while carrying enough passengers to ensure the survival of their business. BA says its transatlantic flights are quiet enough to ensure social distancing. 

But that has not stopped passengers taking to social media to complain about packed BA flights on the continent with passengers seated directly next to each other and without face masks. 

The UK has not issued guidance for airlines but the European Union Aviation Safety Agency says passengers should be 1.5metres apart and wear masks. 

Passengers arriving in the UK will also be required to quarantine for 14 days under strict restrictions introduced by the government. 

A spokesperson for British Airways told MailOnline: 'We follow all the guidance from the UK Government and global health authorities, including Public Health England and the World Health Organisation.

'We have taken several steps to greatly reduce contact between customers and crew, and personal protective equipment is available to them.

'Like other forms of transport we are keeping vital links open - repatriating customers and ensuring key supplies like medicines and food are flown in. Our teams are doing an amazing job.'

What coronavirus safety measures have airlines announced 

British Airways has said it is looking into updating its safety and social distancing measures for when flights resume in July. 

It is not yet clear what this will look like, but the airline has stopped short of enforcing face masks or gloves. 

Social distancing will be encouraged, but the airline will not require seats to be kept empty.

easyJet 

Easyjet has announced plans to keep the middle seat in empty within banks of three seats to ensure social distancing on its flights

Passenger will also be required to wear masks. 

No food will be served and disinfectant wipes will be available for passengers

Ryanair 

Passengers and crew will be required to wear face masks or face coverings, and pass temperature checks.

Aer Lingus

Face masks are compulsory for both passengers and staff, and will be until at least the end of August.

Social distancing is encouraged, but not required on board aircraft.

Iberia

The Spanish airline also requires passengers to wear masks, while staff are given full PPE.

Air is circulated more frequently on board, using filters to remove bacteria and viruses.

Social distancing is encouraged, but not required.

Air France 

All passengers are required to wear face masks for the duration of the flight.

Social distancing will be used 'where possible', but is not required. 

'Via a friend, it seems @British_Airways is squeezing passengers in just like the US airlines. Not everyone is wearing a mask, either,' Twitter user Jonathan Gitlin wrote. 

British Airways then responded to the tweet by saying: 'Hi Jonathan, I know this is worrying for everyone, but I'm afraid its personal preference whether our passengers want to wear a mask or not on board? 

'If I can help with anything else, please feel free to come back to us.' 

Another Twitter user from Copenhagen replied that it was a similar story in Europe, as he tweeted an image of a full flight, although this time every passenger was wearing a face mask.   

'Yeah they're all doing it. Here in Europe too, though it seems wearing a mask is mandatory now. It wasn't a few weeks ago,' he wrote. 

Air France has made mask-wearing compulsory on its flights and aims to maintain social distancing 'where possible'.

'In cases where this is not possible, requiring all passengers and crew members to wear masks ensures adequate health protection,' their website says.

Spain's Iberia airlines has also made mask-wearing compulsory with all staff wearing full PPE, and aims to ensure social distancing 'where passenger numbers allow.

However, it notes that European guidelines do not require airlines to keep middle seats vacant.

Ireland's Aer Lingus has also made the wearing of masks mandatory, and notes that maintaining social distancing 'is not always possible'. 

US airlines including United, American, and Delta also require customers to wear masks - though Southwest does not.

Germany airline Lufthansa also requires customers to wear a mouth covering, including in airports where social distancing cannot be maintained. 

BA sources told The Sun that a flight from Amsterdam to Heathrow yesterday was at around 70 per cent capacity. 

'BA seems to have taken a decision not to bother even trying to social distance passengers. Crew are not wearing masks or gloves on-board,' a source told the publication. 

British Airways has been running a limited service during the pandemic, serving those who have an essential need to travel, but has stated that it would resume the majority of its flights at a limited capacity from July. 

BA has stopped short of saying it would make safety precautions such as face masks mandatory for passengers.  

Meanwhile EasyJet is to restart international and domestic flights on some of its routes from Monday 15 June 2020, after grounding its fleet from March 30. The airline has pledged to enforce new safety measures, such as compulsory face masks 

Budget airline Jet2 confirmed that flights from the UK to destinations across Europe and beyond will resume from the start of July. 

Whizz Air has already started a 'phase return' of commercial fights in Europe, with 10 per cent of its fleet. 

'Maybe at the end of May or sometime in June we'll be at 30 per cent,' said its CEO Jozsef Varadi. 

RyanAir has announced plans to  restart 40% of its flights from July. 

While each airline is adopting its own individual policies for passengers during the pandemic, the European Union Aviation Safety Authority has issued guidance which many have decided to adopt.

EASA recommends social distancing of 1.5m 'where possible', with check-in and boarding altered to avoid passengers congregating.

While passengers should be encouraged to wear masks during the journey, the guidelines stop short of requiring people to wear them.

People should also be encouraged to take fewer luggage into the cabin to avoid them moving around, while both food and duty-free service should be reduced to the minimum level possible.

The guidelines add: 'Aeroplane operators should ensure, to the extent possible, physical distancing among passengers. 

'Family members and individuals travelling together as part of the same household can be seated next to each other. 

'If physical distancing cannot be guaranteed... passengers and crew members should adhere at all times to strict hand hygiene and... should wear a face mask.' 

Spain's tourism minister says Brits SHOULD book holidays for July because quarantine rules will 'likely be suspended' as French politicians tear into draconian rules

Spain has encouraged British tourists to go ahead and book their summer holidays as lockdown rules are eased.

Reyes Maroto, the country's tourism minister, said foreigners should plan to arrive from July when rules requiring arrivals to isolate for 14 days will 'likely be suspended'.

European leaders are desperately hashing out plans to try and salvage the continent's tourist season amid fears of a second wave of coronavirus infections.

Maroto spoke after French politicians lashed out at Britain's decision to bring in a 14-day quarantine for all new arrivals, including returning holidaymakers. 

The country's interior ministry said it 'regretted' the decision, which will make it difficult for Britons to take a holiday in Europe.

Ministers from the two countries had been in talks about an 'air bridge' that would allow travellers to bypass the rules, but negotiations collapsed.

France and Spain are both due to outline their rules around restarting domestic and international tourism this week. 

Spanish regions that rely on the tourist trade are ramping up their efforts to get foreign visitors back on the beaches as the country eases its lockdown further today. 

In Costa del Sol, an army of 3,000 beach assistants will make sure tourists obey social distancing rules on Spain's busiest beaches this summer and Mallorca is asking for permission to reopen to tourists earlier than the nationwide target of July. 

In Benidorm the local mayor joined anger at the UK's plans for a 14-day quarantine for Brits returning from abroad.

The hired workers in Costa Del Sol will also be tasked with preventing overcrowding as hordes of holidaymakers flock to the seaside after the stresses of the last few months.

Juanma Moreno, president of the regional Junta de Andalucia government whose remit includes British favourite the Costa del Sol, announced the pioneering move on Sunday afternoon.

He said the beach assistants would work closely with town-hall employed local police and lifeguards on Spain's southern beaches.

The area they will be expected to cover stretches from the province of Almeria in the east to Huelva in the west, although a large percentage are expected to be assigned to beaches on the Costa del Sol which is one of Spain's best-known international stretches of coastline.  

UK quarantine rules  

The government has said that people arriving in the UK from June 8 MUST self-isolate for 14 days to help slow the spread of coronavirus. 

Home Secretary Priti Patel said the measure would 'reduce the risk of cases crossing our border'. 

People will be required to tell the government where they plan to self-isolate. 

The rule will be enforced by random checks and fines of up to £1000. 

Border Force chief Paul Lincoln said those who did not have their own accommodation to self-isolate in would be provided facilities by the government, at their own expense. 

The announcement sparked a row with British holidaymakers hoping to go abroad this summer, while airlines slammed the new measure as 'effectively killing air travel'. 

The government is now considering 'air bridges' to allow tourists to travel without quarantining to countries that have low infection rates. 

The new measures will be renewed every three weeks from when it is introduced. 

Lorry drivers, seasonal farm workers, and coronavirus medics will be exempt. 

Outside of famous Costa del Sol resorts like Marbella and Torremolinos, Andalucia also includes popular British resorts like Mojacar and the fantastic beaches of Costa de la Luz such as those in Tarifa and Zahara de los Atunes.

The beach assistants will be picked from a list of people who are currently unemployed and were given the chance earlier this year to register for temporary public sector jobs as part of a regional government initiative.

Nearly 600,000 people are registered for seasonal work.

Mr Moreno said their responsibilities would include 'guaranteeing the safety of beachgoers through surveillance and organising social distancing.' They will also be tasked with controlling access and limiting the numbers of people on the busiest beaches.

Although they will not be given police powers, the regional government chief said they would be expected to inform police about incidents so officers could intervene if necessary.

Describing the beach assistants as a 'huge army', he added: 'They will enable us to organise in a planned way the opening of our beaches this summer.' Mr Moreno revealed his new plans for Spain's southern beaches after the country's PM Pedro Sanchez said foreign tourists would be welcomed back from July.

It comes as Coronavirus lockdown measures are being eased for people in Madrid and Barcelona from today, while elsewhere in Spain the first beaches are due to reopen.

Residents from the two cities are now allowed to meet up in groups of ten, in their homes or on restaurant and bar terraces. 

Mr Sanchez said in a live televised address on Saturday: 'Spain receives more than 80 million visitors each year.

'That's why I'm announcing to you that from the month of July the entry of international tourism to Spain will restart in safety.

'Foreign tourists can now start planning their holidays here.' Earlier Juan Marin, vice-president of the Junta de Andalucia, said rapid Covid-19 tests on foreign tourists could be the way forward for the recovery of the International holiday market.

He told a Spanish radio station the country had to compete on a level playing field with competitor nations like Portugal and Italy, warning: 'If we miss out this summer, we'll be facing a frozen winter.' 

Many Spanish town halls have already indicated social distancing through limits on the number of tourists who can enjoy their beaches, will be top of their list of priorities.

The Costa del Sol resort of Fuengirola has said it will use artificial intelligence to control numbers.

Authorities in Lloret de Mar on the Costa Brava have said they intend to put different age groups in different areas of their beaches.

Travellers entering Spain are currently being forced to quarantine for 14 days but the order will be lifted when the country ends its current state of emergency at the end of June at the latest unless there is a dramatic change in the health situation.

Benidorm mayor Toni Perez has added his voice to the chorus of concern over the British government's quarantine rules.

Mr Perez spoke out after Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez said foreign holidaymakers would be welcomed back from July after its current quarantine rules on people arriving in the country are lifted.

His message was described as 'very positive' by influential Spanish tourist group Exceltur.

The mayor of British favourite Benidorm also welcomed Mr Sanchez's comments, but admitted the UK quarantine was a concern. 

Under plans announced by Home Secretary Priti Patel on Friday, anyone reaching the UK from June 8 will have to self-isolate for 14 days or risk POUNDS 1,000 fines. The new rules will apply to returning holidaymakers.

Ms Patel described the measures as 'temporary' but said they would be reviewed every three weeks, meaning any extension beyond the initial three-week period would make it impractical for most Britons to take a foreign break.

Spain is the top destination for British tourists, with around 18 million people from the UK visiting the country normally every year.

Benidorm - made even more famous by the hit ITV comedy series of the same name - has an area known as Little England.

British visitors to the resort outnumber every other nationality apart from the Spanish.

Four out of every ten of its holidaymakers come from the UK.

Mr Perez said: 'Benidorm has been working for weeks now to make sure it is a safe resort this summer.

'It's not just important that Benidorm and Spain are safe destinations but also that the countries tourists come from are safe as well.

'We're keeping on a close eye on the evolution of the health situation in the neighbouring countries of France and Portugal.

'But we're also keeping a close eye on our most important market which is the UK and which is the country that is therefore of most concern to us.

'The quarantine the British government has announced, which will be revised after three weeks and includes high fines for people who flout the rules, is causing a lot of uncertainty.

'No-one knows how long it could last and that is having an effect on last-minute holiday reservations and cancellations and that is something that is worrying us.' 

Yesterday influential Spanish tourist group Exceltur called on the Spanish government to give the UK priority in safe 'air corridor' negotiations designed to pave the way for a British return to the Costas this summer.

Exceltur's vice-president Jose Luis Zoreda called the Spanish PM's invitation to foreign holidaymakers to pick Spain from July 'very positive.' 

He said: 'This kickstarts British and German tour operators because they now know they can operate in July if all goes well.' 

Telling Catalan daily El Periodico that Britain, which accounted for more than 18 million of Spain's foreign tourists last year, and Germany should be priority countries in 'safe corridor' negotiations, he added: 'The speech Pedro Sanchez made was very positive because he committed to a date with enough time for potential tourists to book holidays here, and because of the message it sends that the Prime Minister of a country is welcoming back foreign visitors.

'The common denominator will not be nationality but the corridors.' 

Saying he thought it was unlikely EU-wide agreements on re-opening borders could be reached by July, he added: 'We have to get going to establish these bilateral corridors and agreements.' 

Many Spanish town halls have already indicated social distancing through limits on the number of tourists who can enjoy their beaches, will be top of their list of priorities.

The Costa del Sol resort of Fuengirola has said it will use artificial intelligence to control numbers.

Authorities in Lloret de Mar on the Costa Brava have said they intend to put different age groups in different areas of their beaches.

Travellers entering Spain are currently being forced to quarantine for 14 days but the order will be lifted when the country ends its current state of emergency at the end of June at the latest, unless there is a dramatic change in the health situation.

Additional measures like temperature checks at airports for foreign tourists who jet to Spain in July are also being studied.

Juan Marin, vice-president of the Junta de Andalucia which is the regional government responsible for areas like the Brit-popular Costa del Sol, insisted on Sunday that rapid Covid-19 tests on foreign tourists could be the way forward for the recovery of the International holiday market.

He told a Spanish radio station the country had to compete on a level playing field with competitor nations like Portugal and Italy, warning: 'If we miss out this summer, we'll be facing a frozen winter.' 

Teresa Ribera, one of the Spanish government's vice-presidents, has said 'safe corridors' will 'probably' be applied along the same lines as peoples' movements between regions as part of a national tourism scheme.