Aeroflot creates special seating section for maskless passengers

The Moscow Times is reporting that Aeroflot will allocate special seating for passengers who refuse to wear face masks on flights.

The changes came after the airline warned that it would deny boarding to maskless passengers as part of its tighter coronavirus control measures.

“Dedicated seats are provided for passengers who refuse to use masks after the doors are closed,” Interfax quoted Aeroflot spokeswoman Yulia Spivakova as telling reporters.

Spivakova warned that Aeroflot could kick off passengers unwilling to follow health guidelines, calling it a “common global practice and a necessary measure.” 

According to an alleged Aeroflot document shared by the Baza Telegram channel, the maskless seats will be allocated on the last two rows on the right-hand side of economy cabins.

Aeroflot requires all passengers, including those with medical exemptions, to fully cover their mouth and nose with a medical mask throughout the entire flight.

Passengers are told to replace their masks every three hours or after every meal.

In recent months, Russia has gradually resumed flights with a dozen countries it deemed safe for travel, including Britain, Turkey, the UAE and Switzerland.

Aeroflot is part of the SkyTeam frequent flyer alliance.