A SPANISH airline has been criticised by passengers who claim their flight was unsafe due to no social distancing measures being in place.
An Iberia Express passenger flight, which few from Madrid to the Canary Islands last Saturday, was the subject of controversy after images spread on social media showing a near-full flight with no social distancing measures apparent.
Concerned passengers took to social media to share their anger, with one man, Efren Hernandez, sharing a video of an angry exchange between passengers and a flight attendant.
"Where is the safety distance @Iberia?", he wrote on a message accompanying the video.
"The lane is almost completely full and there is not even a separation seat between passengers. This is a shame."
Dónde está la distancia de seguridad @Iberia? Va el avión casi completamente lleno y no hay ni siquiera un asiento de separación entre pasajeros. Esto es una VERGÜENZA. @el_pais @eldiarioes @elmundoes pic.twitter.com/HnOJDluCkh
— Efrén Hernández (@efren_hr) May 10, 2020
A spokesperson for Iberia Express responded to Mr Hernandez, claiming that "we comply with all the security regulations set by the authorities.
"We have reinforced the daily cleaning and disinfection of the cabin and all its elements and our fleet has a 99.9% effective HEPA filter and air system against viruses and bacteria."
— Efrén Hernández (@efren_hr) May 10, 2020
Spanish outlet El Pais reports that multiple passengers issued complaints, and the Civil Guard were present at the Ganda airport in Gran Canaria upon its descent to investigate the allegations.
Passengers say they were separated at the airport but were not aware of what the conditions on the flight would be.
The Transportation Ministry has opened an investigation into the flight, the outlet added, however there are difficulties surrounding the investigation due to unclear guidelines regarding the regulations for flights between the peninsula, with the latest guidance issued by the Government stating only that safety guidelines are in the hands of the airlines themselves.
Passengers are allowed to travel between mainland Spain and the Canary Island only for certain reasons, and must produce a document with their reason for travel, El Pais reports.
Iberia Express maintains that they have adhered to the latest safety standards to protect passengers and staff.
