S. Korea to stop requiring flight attendants to wear protective suits on int’l routes

The South Korean government will lift the requirement of wearing protective clothing for flight attendants on international routes from next month in an effort to hasten a return to normalcy for flights abroad.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport intends to notify airlines shortly about the recommendations for relaxing COVID-19 restrictions on overseas flights.

Beginning April 2020, South Korean airlines have required international flight crews to wear gloves and protective suits over their uniforms before passengers board.

International flight attendants were also obliged to wear goggles while traveling to locations with a high frequency of COVID-19 infections. After the planes land, the protective garments are discarded onboard.

Airline cabins have also been disinfected before each journey. The government intends to reduce cabin disinfection frequency to twice a month, a level seen prior to the outbreak.

Airlines have also been burdened by the expense of specific chemicals required to sanitize cabins before the flight, as well as added personnel expenditures.

Meanwhile, the issue of fairness has arisen since the disinfection methods for international flights are more stringent than those for domestic flights and public transportation such as buses, subways, and trains.