Measures adopted as a result of Covid-19
So that you can plan your trip with peace of mind
Before you fly
- The airports authority has reinforced the cleaning procedure with special products for check-in desks and all customer contact points.
- To respect the social distancing recommended by the health authorities, we have introduced a new queueing system for check-in, boarding and all customer service points at airports.
- We have also installed screens at check-in and customer service desks.
- We have reduced the capacity of terminal-to-plane shuttle buses beyond regulations to ensure maximum possible separation between passengers.
- Please follow the prevention measures announced and advertised at airports.
- We have temporarily closed our premium lounges in Madrid to avoid passenger overcrowding.
- In addition, the VIP parking service providers at Madrid and Barcelona airports have also interrupted this service.
- We recommend that you check in online before you go to the airport and that, wherever possible, you download your boarding pass to your phone to avoid any physical contact.
- The airport operator may deny boarding if passengers show symptoms compatible with Covid-19 at the airport, or test positive using rapid testing or temperature screening.
- We recommend you reduce your stay at the airport.
- Only passengers with a valid ticket or boarding pass may access Spanish airports, 6 hours prior to the estimated time of departure of their flight. In this respect, minors, people with reduced mobility, or people with duly justified reasons, may be accompanied by the strictly necessary number of people.
- We recommend checking in online and travelling with all baggage checked except for small hand luggage that fits under the seat. Please remember that you must not carry lithium batteries or any other dangerous or prohibited items in your check-in luggage.
- If you test positive for Covid-19 in the previous 14 days before your flight is scheduled, have any suspicions that you might be infected, or have symptoms compatible with the disease, you should not go to the airport. Some of these symptoms include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, a stuffy or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhoea. The health authorities require passengers not to travel if they present symptoms. If you submit a medical certificate proving that you have been diagnosed with Covid-19, you may change your flight by requesting it to the airline.
- The carrier will ask passengers during the booking or online check-in process to submit a Health Declaration regarding COVID-19 before they are issued a boarding pass. When checking in at the airport, this declaration will be filled in with the handling agents in person. If the passenger provides false or untrue information, the airline may refuse them boarding if symptoms compatible with Covid-19 are detected before or during their trip. Passengers not complying with the above prevention measures: (i) might be denied boarding, (ii) might be asked to disembark, and (iii) if non-compliance happens during the flight, the disruptive passenger procedure shall be enforced. They might also be fined pursuant to Air Safety and General Public Health legislation.
- All passengers arriving in Spain by air must undergo a health check before entering the country. This may include:
- temperature screening,
- documentary control and
- a visual assessment of the passenger's condition.
All passengers originating from any airport outside Spanish territory must fill in a public health form known as the 'Health Control Form'.
This will be done electronically; therefore, all passengers travelling to Spain must complete it before starting their journey at www.spth.gob.es, or using the SPAIN TRAVEL HEALTH-SpTH app. Once the form is completed, passengers will get a QR code associated with their trip to be presented upon arrival in Spain. Exceptionally, international passengers who have not been able to complete the 'Health Control Form' online may present it upon arrival in Spain in paper form.
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In addition, anyone arriving in Spain from at-risk countries must quarantine for 10 days starting from the day of their arrival, or during their whole stay if shorter. The quarantine period may be shortened if the person gets a negative result from an Active Infection Diagnostic Test on day 7. Test results that are allowed for these purposes shall be those from RT-PCR or other tests based on equivalent molecular techniques, as well as antigen tests with a minimum performance of ≥ 90 % sensitivity and ≥ 97 % specificity.
During the quarantine period, the persons referred to in the preceding paragraph shall stay at their home or accommodation; they shall limit their movements, and any visitors to their home or accommodation, to those essential for carrying out the following activities:
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Purchasing food and medicines, and other products to cover their basic needs,
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Accessing health centres, services, and facilities
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Any cases of force majeure or situations of need.
They must also follow all hygiene guidelines and measures aimed at preventing the transmission of the disease caused by COVID-19 during quarantine, as well as in their contact with other people living with them and with those who provide them with the goods or services essential to ensure their food, cleanliness and, where appropriate, health care.
Health authorities may contact quarantined persons for follow-up. Law enforcement agencies may also carry out the necessary checks on compliance with the quarantine conditions set out in this order at any given time.
In the event of suspected symptoms of COVID-19, quarantined persons should contact the health services by telephone using the numbers provided by the Autonomous Communities, indicating that they are in quarantine.
Protection and prevention measures
- We kindly remind our customers that, in accordance with current regulations, to protect your own health and that of other passengers, you are required to wear a face mask properly, i.e. covering your nose and mouth at all times. The face mask must not be removed from the moment the passenger enters the departure airport terminal until leaving the destination airport (including when boarding the aircraft and during the flight). If you do not have a mask, we will be obliged to deny you boarding. Passengers must have enough masks for the entire journey, including their stay at the airport and airport facilities (mask replacement every 4 hours is recommended, also if they get wet and/or dirty). Boarding may also be denied if the recommendations and other preventive measures decreed by the authorities which could result in sanctions under the Aviation Safety and Public Health regulations are not complied with, both inside and outside the aircraft.
- Exceptions to the mandatory use of face masks are as follows:
· Children under 6 years of age.
· Passengers with heart or lung diseases with a supporting medical certificate.
· People suffering from any kind of respiratory illness or difficulty which might be worsened by the use of face masks or, due to their disabilities or dependence have no autonomy to remove the mask, or who have behavioural alterations making it impossible to use them.
- Standard surgical masks or FFP2 masks without valve must be used. You must wear them covering your mouth and nose all the time. Please bare in mind that masks with exhalation valve must not be worn. Cloth face masks are banned in our flights from/to Italy.
- Passengers must keep the safety distance (1.5 metres) at all times with the handling and airline’s staff, during check-in, boarding and on board the aircraft. In addition, they must avoid overcrowding during check-in, in waiting areas, when boarding, on board the aircraft, in aisles and areas close to the lavatories, and when disembarking.
- During boarding and disembarking, our airport staff and cabin crew will keep as much distance as possible in passageways in order to guide passengers while maintaining social distancing. When planning your trip, please keep in mind that boarding and disembarking times may be longer than usual.
During the selection and allocation of seats as well as during boarding, the necessary measures are taken to ensure the maximum distance between passengers whenever possible, except for those passengers requiring a travel companion, people with reduced mobility, and passengers from the same family unit or those who live together.
- We hope you will understand if our cabin crew can't help you with your hand baggage, because this is an additional measure to avoid the risk of spreading infection.
- In the event of lost or damaged baggage, its tracking information details shall be available to the passenger to follow up any claims without having to wait to claim in person at the airport.
Health and safety on board
- We have also reinforced the cleaning procedure on our aircraft. As well as increasing the frequency of cleaning, we have introduced the use of recommended anti-COVID-19 products with a special treatment for surfaces (armrests, folding tables, overhead compartments, etc.), toilets (toilet seat, flush button, cupboard, door knob, taps, etc.) and crew areas.
- The air in our passenger cabins is constantly renewed. It is fed from the outside and processed at a very high temperature when flowing into the aircraft. It is then supplied to the cabin already conditioned.
- Our crew have received the relevant health and hygiene training and have access on board to the necessary equipment to implement the protection protocols and systems established by the health authorities if a person with symptoms is detected during the flight.
- We kindly ask passengers to follow the established health guidelines on board the aircraft:
· Hand washing: Particularly before eating or drinking, and after using the lavatory or touching any shared surface.
· Proper use of face masks.
· Respiratory etiquette: Please cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing into your elbow, even when wearing a face mask.
· Limit contact with cabin surfaces.
· Avoid queueing in the aisle or while waiting to use the lavatory.
· Reduce the use of individual air vents as much as possible.
· Always follow the instructions given by the aircrew and the promotional material and the information system on board the plane.
· Avoid as much as possible moving around in the cabin and aisle thorough the flight.
- We remind passengers that the use of face masks is mandatory and does not replace the established prevention measures such as social distancing, respiratory etiquette, hand washing and avoiding touching your face, nose, eyes and mouth. We also remind you that the use of gloves does not prevent the spread of the virus and gives a false sense of security. In case of wearing gloves, they must be replaced regularly, and disinfecting them is not recommended.
- If during the flight any passenger wishes to change their face mask or other personal protective equipment, they must inform the aircrew for collection. At the end of the flight, passengers must take all personal belongings, gloves, masks or other personal items used during the flight and not leave them behind in the plane in any case due to the health risk this poses.
Adapted on-board service
- To reduce contact and therefore the risks, our in-flight meals and drinks service has been adapted in Business class. In-flight shopping services has been suspended on all our flights.
- We have also removed the usual services: in-flight magazines, pillows, blankets and children's activity books.
- Our in-flight entertainment online platform is still available and can be used by passengers with their own mobile devices.
- We have reinforced the hand soap in all aircraft toilet facilities. In aircrafts with more than one lavatory, the one closest to the cockpit will be for aircrew use only.
- And during flights we offer messages from the health authorities about detection, protection and reporting illness.
Passengers with disabilities
- Passengers with disabilities may access the terminal with family members, travel companions, personal assistants and, if applicable, a qualified and trained assistance dog that meets the existing travel criteria (training, certificate from an accredited entity, pet passport, mandatory vaccines).
- Physical distancing measures and restrictions for people who are not traveling should not prevent passengers with disabilities from being in close co, ntact w, ith their family members, travel companions and assistants.
- Check-in and boarding staff will provide you with all necessary information on COVID-19 prevention measures. You will also find visual information and hear cabin announcements with the COVID-19 measures at any time on board the aircraft. Information will also be available on Regional Play on selected aircraft.
- All the necessary information on COVID-19 measures will be also be available to passengers during their stay in the terminal buildings, in information leaflets and information desks at the airports, as well as in the assistance services for passengers with disabilities.
More information about these measures can be found on the Iberia website:
https://www.iberia.com/es/en/covid-19/measures-taken/
Please follow these recommendations from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) for safe travel:
https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/dfu/easa-ecdc_posters_-_blank_and_white_-_28may2020_-_final.pdf
Quick guide on how to properly use the face mask (Ministry of Health) in Spanish:
https://www.mscbs.gob.es/profesionales/saludPublica/ccayes/alertasActual/nCov-China/img/COVID19_uso_correcto_mascarillas.jpg
Passengers can find more information about travel restrictions per country in the following website of the International Air Transport Association (IATA):
https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/international-travel-document-news/1580226297.htm