The experience of the first inter-island flights in the post-COVID era
A Menorca-Mallorca flight ended 56 days without Air Nostrum operations
"It's a joy to see familiar faces, even if they're masked."
"The inter-island flight is the best way to get there."
VALENCIA, MAY 26, 2020
Last Sunday at 7:05 a.m., a CRJ 1000 took off from Menorca bound for Mallorca with 13 passengers on board. This ended Air Nostrum's 56-day hiatus and marked the first time without flights in the company's history.
Sandra, a crew member on these first flights, welcomed the end of the hiatus: "I really missed flying; I was looking forward to getting on the plane, taking off, and changing cities." Ana, who was also one of the cabin crew on these first flights, shared the same sentiment: "Wow, I was really looking forward to it, and everyone seemed happy to see us again: our fellow passengers, the people at the airport, and the passengers themselves."
Both acknowledge that inter-island operations have their own peculiarities: they are short flights with many regular passengers. “The truth is that the best way we could have returned to operations is with the inter-island flights because we have people who fly a lot and to whom we don't need to say anything,” says Ana, who claims to have recognized one of the regular passengers, despite the mask. Sandra, for her part, admits that with half of her face covered, it was impossible to identify some of the customers who fly frequently, “but their eyes looked happy and they seemed affectionate. I thought maybe they recognized me.”
This isn't surprising because Air Nostrum is the leading airline for these flights, on which it has carried more than nine million travelers. Seven out of ten passengers chose Air Nostrum to fly inter-island in 2019.
However, since Air Nostrum's schedule allows connections between Ibiza and Menorca via Son San Joan, there were passengers Sandra met on both legs.
“Everything went very well; very organized, and at the airport they were delighted with our return. Everyone seemed happy to have us back: the coordination colleagues, the airport staff, the cleaning staff, everyone,” Ana emphasizes.
Alberto is responsible for Handling at Son San Joan and agrees with his colleagues that there was a great desire to return; “it's very nice to see familiar faces, even if they're masked,” he jokes. He also emphasizes the importance of the new hygiene and sanitation measures and acknowledges that with the new protocol, there is now thorough cleaning and planes are thoroughly disinfected for greater safety.
Alberto confirms that the passengers traveling between islands are experienced travelers and move through the airport with great respect, “people very accustomed to traveling and who apply the protocols without needing to be reminded.”
The flight attendants on board had the same experience: “Very organized people, who knew what they had to do and followed the rules,” says Ana.
Both reveal that, although they had their reservations, they have adapted to the new protocols without problems. “I thought I might be overwhelmed by the mask and gloves, but no way! With the air conditioning, you don't feel hot and you get used to it quickly,” says Sandra. “I admit it's not the same as before,” confesses Ana: “Suddenly you have to remember that you can't get as close to the passengers as you used to, and honestly, it's hard not to get closer to them. But deep down, I think they appreciate us putting up that barrier; it gives them peace of mind.”
