Cameras will alert Malta International Airport staff if passengers fail to maintain social distance, as part of a raft of measures put in place as commercial flights resume. 

Malta will allow travel to and from 21 different countries from Wednesday after a flight ban that lasted over three months is lifted.

But passengers arriving and departing from the country will be monitored more closely for temperature checks and social distancing in an attempt to maintain the country’s low coronavirus levels.

Special “agglomeration detection” technology will alert staff “in real-time if social distancing is not maintained by passengers, permitting the team on the floor to take prompt action”, according to the MIA website.

Other heat-detecting cameras will detect passengers with high temperatures. Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci has already said anyone detected with a fever will not be allowed to fly and will be tested for COVID-19.

All travellers, except for those under the age of six, will have to wear masks or visors inside the terminal and 120 sanitising stations have been set up to keep the airport clean. 

Signage reminding guests to keep apart, and protective panes in different areas have been set up to limit interactions. 

Members of the same household will be allowed to travel together in a group. And those greeting passengers, or saying goodbye, will have to do so outside the airport.

An airport spokesperson said that while the airport journey might feel "somewhat different" because of the health and safety protocols "the front-line team remains committed to delivering the same levels of service excellence, with a renewed focus on safety and security."  

Travellers choosing to fly from Wednesday have also been reminded of their own responsibility in keeping coronavirus at bay. 

“Guests are reminded that their cooperation is crucial to ensuring that a safe and secure airport environment can be maintained, and are requested to keep the below in mind if they are planning on travelling through Malta International Airport in the coming weeks.”

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.