Talking about hand luggage, Ryanair is always at the forefront of controversy. The Irish low-cost airline, which has been at the center of controversy over trolley fares for years, today rails against ENAC's decision to ban backpacks, bags and purses in the cabin: "The ban on hand luggage is insane and exposes passengers to a greater risk of contagion,” says Eddie Wilson, CEO of Ryanair, in an interview with Corriere della Sera.
In reality, the stop arrived by the National Civil Aviation Authority is not total: hand luggage can still be taken into the cabin, but must be placed under the seat in front. In fact, it is only the use of the that is prohibited hat boxes (and only if the plane is full and therefore social distancing cannot be guaranteed). In this way - is the reasoning - the gatherings along the corridors will occur less frequently and the risk of contagion from Covid-19 will be lower.
These clarifications, however, are not enough to appease the wrath of Ryanair, which with the reduction of hand luggage sees its revenues drop. The economic motive seems undeniable, yet Wilson argues that the turnover has nothing to do with the company's position: to move Ryanair would rather be a health concern. To deposit luggage in the hold, the manager points out, "people are forced to queue at the check-in counters and this happens in areas of the airport with spaces that do not allow for social distancing". Furthermore, “the suitcase is touched by other people who take care of placing it in the hold, then unloading it and depositing it on the delivery belt. Ribbon that becomes another occasion for gathering at the destination".
Meanwhile, still on the subject of air transport, the news arrives that Milan Linate airport will reopen from 13 July, almost four months after the closure, which began on March 16. According to some rumors reported by the main Italian newspapers, the Minister of Transport, Paola De Micheli, has already communicated the decision to ENAC. Reopening Linate on the 13th means restarting flights from 14 July.
In reality Sea, the company that manages Linate airport, had asked the ministry to be able to keep the airport closed until September. For two reasons: first, because ensuring social distancing will be complicated due to some open construction sites; second, because with the further reduction in traffic – take-offs per hour should drop from nine to two for safety reasons – Sea, which is already losing between 25 and 30 million a month due to traffic collapse, will see the gap in its accounts widening another 2,5 million a month.
