My take-off with easyjet in the brave new world of flying
Usually the round of applause comes at the end of a flight, to celebrate a safe landing. Not today. Cheers erupt as our easyjet plane builds speed and takes off.
I’m on the 7am flight from Gatwick to Glasgow, the first time an easyjet plane has taken off since the airline ceased operations at the end of March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
There are 50 or so of us on board – a gaggle of press and staff, plus the odd punter – all with face coverings, ranging from hospital-grade masks to – ahem – a repurposed sock.
I never thought I’d board a plane with a sock on my face, but nothing’s particularly “normal” about this experience. On the runway, television camera crews gathered around, struggling to observe social distancing as they jostled for the perfect shot.
This is a huge moment for easyjet, as it relaunches 310 flights this week. But Gatwick is bordering on deserted.
The differences in this brave new world of air travel are apparent at the North Terminal. As I walk in, an easyjet staff member behind a perspex screen, ushers passengers – by my count, just three – to check in their luggage at self-service machines.
At security, we stand on colourful numbered squares and make our way through – in my case, without a frisk.
Which is a shame – I was quite looking forward to some human contact. I touch only the security tray, so I clean my hands: sanitisers are everywhere. At the gate, a woman dressed like a Ghostbuster prepares to sanitise surfaces. The contraption strapped to her back is full of green liquid. It would be funny, if it wasn’t so serious.
So, are we spaced apart onboard, you ask? Not at all. In fact, we are oddly clustered in the middle of the aircraft – in middle seats, as well as aisle and window. The chap seated next to me works for easyjet’s safety department, He says it’s to do with balancing out the plane – although, as soon as we take to the sky everyone grabs three seats to themselves.
There are no refreshments on board and we’re told not to spend too much time in the aisle but, truth be told, things feel fairly normal onboard.
We land in Glasgow, 14 minutes early due to an 80mph tailwind and the captain speaks…
“That’s it,” he says. “We’ve landed in Glasgow, easyjet is officially back in the skies.” And applause erupts again.