Air France prepares to take passengers again

The coronavirus pandemic has not only brought government restrictions on travel, but has stoked fear among the public of being trapped in a plane while sharing recycled air with people who might be infected.

To combat these concerns French airline Air France has implemented several new procedures which aim to keep both its staff and passengers safe.

Staff have been checking passengers temperatures before they board aircraft and misting machines spraying anti-viral chemicals, which Air France says are also used in hospitals, are being used to clean cabins.

Air France cabin engineer Yasmina Geha explained the cleaning spay was used on aircraft once every five days as the spray "remained active for a long time".

She said: "This product works against the coronavirus. It's been tested and is used in hospitals."

Air France has also dropped its in flight duty free offer and made changes to the way it serves customers food.

"The crew members will go through the cabin only once to really offer the tray to the customer and everything is packed individually," Catherine Villar, Air France Director of customer experience, explained.

The airline announced last month it was receiving a 7 billion Euro bailout from the French government after travel restriction greatly impacted its business.

Other airlines have also said they are stepping up the cleaning of plane cabins to help prevent spread of the coronavirus.

Several carriers are also blocking some middle seats.