Budget airline easyJet plan to leave seats free in a bid to keep passengers safe once travel restrictions are lifted following the coronavirus lockdown.
Bosses revealed the middle seat between passengers will be kept empty in the radical new move.
It is hoped the safety plans will encourage passengers to fly with the airline again while still maintaining social distancing, The Mirror reports.
Most of easyJet's fleet has been grounded since March 24 due to the outbreak of Covid-19 as the Foreign Office advised against all travel "indefinitely".
EasyJet's chief executive Johan Lundgren said: “Our assumption is that load factors will not be back to normal early on, which means that we will have the opportunity for a middle-seat option, but I’m talking about this as an initial phase and nobody knows for how long that phase will be."
Speaking to the BBC about the new safety plans, he added: "That is something that we will do because I think that is something that the customers would like to see.
"Then we will work out with the authorities and listen to the customers' views and points on what they believe is the right thing to do, particularly in the start-up period."
He added: "I'm talking about this as an initial phase. Nobody knows for how long that phase will be.
"I think it's important that customers understand that we are taking this very seriously, and first and foremost, our concern is about the customers' well-being and our people's well-being."
“We’re also looking at various disinfection programmes on the aircraft, we’re in discussions with Easa (the European aviation safety regulator) if there are other additional measures we should take.
“That is what’s going to take priority in this whole thing, because that is the way you get the confidence back with people taking flights again.”
Mr Lundgren also said that there had been a spike in winter bookings with people wanting to jet away once travel restrictions have eased.
EasyJet has taken a big financial hit in recent months.
Bosses confirmed it had needed to borrow £600 million from the Treasury and Bank of England’s emergency coronavirus fund.
