This composite photo provided by Korean Air Lines Co. shows a flight attendant dressed in protective clothing.
SEOUL, May 30 (Korea Bizwire) — The government plans to lift protective clothing regulations for flight attendants on international routes from next month as part of efforts to speed up a return to normal for flights abroad.
he Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to notify airlines of the guidelines for easing the COVID-19 measures on international flights soon, according to industry sources.
Starting in April 2020, domestic airlines have required international flight crews to wear gloves and protective suits over their uniforms before passengers board.
When flying to areas with high numbers of COVID-19 infections, international flight attendants were also required to wear goggles. The protective suits are disposed of onboard after the planes land.
Airlines have also been disinfecting their cabins before each flight. The ministry plans to ease cabin disinfection frequency to twice a month, a level seen before the pandemic started.
The cost of specialized chemicals used to disinfect cabins before flight have also been a burden for airlines, along with additional labor costs.
In the meantime, the question of fairness has been raised since the disinfection measures for international flights were tougher and stricter than those for domestic flights and public transport such as bus, subway and train.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
