Press COVID-19, Thailand Bans Flights With Food, Newspapers And Magazines

Illustration (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - In an effort to stem the tide of COVID-19, Thailand has banned food, drink and any printed material other than safety information cards on domestic flights. Airlines must follow the rules if they don't want to be punished by their regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand.

Citing CNN, Saturday January, this is the second time such a step has been carried out. Thailand previously banned inflight food and beverage services on April 26, 2020, but the ban was lifted on August 31. Chula Sukmanop, Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), confirmed the move.

"The cleaning time after each stop of domestic flights is very short, as operators tend to turn around as quickly as possible and I don't think it is possible for the operator to be able to thoroughly clean all of this stuff. Therefore, having unnecessary reading material on a flight would put more risk of being exposed. virus, "he said.

However, that doesn't mean passengers have to find ways to pass time during the flight without reading material. They are allowed to bring their own magazines or newspapers on board, but will most likely be asked to bring these items when they get off the plane.

CAAT's prohibition applies to anything that will be distributed on board, such as a menu or in-flight magazines. The consumption of food or drink is also prohibited on domestic flights, even if passengers are carrying food on board, as masks must be worn at all times.

According to the CAAT release, cabin crew are allowed to provide water if a passenger requests it, which can occur in situations where, for example, a person needs water to take medicine. Domestic air travel in Thailand is currently around 40 percent of its usual capacity. The decree will take effect on December 31, 2020.

Thailand has recorded around 6,700 cases of COVID-19 since the virus crisis began. About 60 more people in Thailand died from COVID-19.

Thailand's two longest domestic flights connect the northern city of Chiang Mai in the north with the island of Phuket and the main resort Krabi in the south. Flights on both routes take two hours. In October, Thai Airways' catering division launched a ground-based experience, serving food in an airline-themed restaurant.

Since mid-2020, many airlines have made some adjustments to their food and beverage programs, either providing only pre-packaged food or suspending meal services altogether.

Delta, for example, announced that apart from small snack bags, they would not provide extra meals on short or medium haul flights. Drinks are only provided with bottled water with plastic cups and ice.