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(CNN) - European travelers have started flying again as restrictions at the borders are eased, but the experience is not the same as before. A journey on the continent's largest airline reveals exactly what awaits those willing to fly after the pandemic.
CNN traveled from Frankfurt, Germany, to the Portuguese city of Porto on a scheduled Lufthansa flight, to see how the aviation sector is adapting as countries try to reopen their tourism sectors.
The German airline is the largest in Europe and desperately needs to revive its fortune after accepting a $ 10 billion bailout from the German government to counter the economic impact of virus-related travel restrictions.
Airlines, including Lufthansa, are now trying to convince passengers that air travel is possible without risking further spikes in coronavirus infections.
Now that popular European travel destinations such as Portugal, Greece and Italy are open to visitors from the European Union, sites are reserved for the first flights carrying tourists.
READ: The airlines' problems in enforcing their mask policies
The crucial differences travelers face were immediately visible at the departure airport, where everyone, including passengers, is asked to wear face masks at all times. Social distancing is also stipulated in the terminal.
Once on the plane, these measurements become more complicated. Masks are still used, but social distancing becomes impossible.
Although the aviation industry is starting to restart, there are currently far fewer scheduled flights than before, so demand is high, meaning the flight was full.
Flight attendant Mike Lautekorn delivered disinfecting wipes to passengers as they boarded.
Traveling by plane will be much more complicated 1:24Some travelers expressed their concerns.
"It is strange, it is very quiet, you don't have the hustle and bustle of the airport," said one traveler, Nayr Ibrahim. "It's also a little scary, I think, because you never know what you can catch, or not," he added.
Another passenger, Karl Heinz Lattau, who says he normally takes about 50 flights a year, said he was not concerned about any potential risks, but was surprised that the middle seats were occupied.
"Actually, I'm a little surprised because, actually, I think we're sitting very, very close under the coronavirus," he said.
The atmosphere on board was gloomier than usual. The masks meant that people were naturally calmer, the fear of unintentionally scattering the drops when talking to neighbors perhaps prompting silence.
Passengers who spoke to CNN said they were concerned about being on a plane in a confined space for a significant period of time.
Most said they were traveling to visit family or for work.
Long waits
A flight attendant delivers disinfecting wipes to passengers on a Lufthansa flight.
Wearing the mask on board felt strange to our reporters, particularly when trying to drink water or eat a snack.
Although pilots wear their masks on the ground, they do not do so in the air, explained Captain Andreas Kauser. He said it was important to be able to see his co-pilot's facial expression to communicate properly during unexpected situations.
"The face, the expressions are very important," he told CNN. "If you communicate with your colleague and you face a strange situation, it is good to see her, is she afraid?" She explained.
Lufthansa says state-of-the-art air filters on airplanes make infections on board unlikely.
"Filters exchange air with outside air and circulate continuously so there are no viruses," adds Kauser.
Would they travel by plane these days? 18:38Before traveling from Frankfurt to Porto, CNN boarded a German internal flight from Berlin to Frankfurt.
Registration in Berlin took almost two hours as staff had to ensure that each passenger complied with coronavirus-related restrictions in the destination country. The process currently varies for each country and there was a long line.
In Berlin there were no plastic partitions to protect staff.
Frankfurt was better organized, but long lines seem inevitable for commuters right now and anyone traveling in the near future can foresee long waiting times, even on the track.
MIRA: This is how tourism in Europe will reopen after restrictions by covid-19
All of the flights CNN took were delayed because the decrease in the number of scheduled flights means that airlines really don't want anyone to miss their flight and wait one day for the next.
Each part of the flight process takes a little longer and is priced higher.
This was a business trip, and I am not particularly interested in flying on vacation at the moment. The process feels difficult.
However, many people probably want a vacation abroad in warmer climates after months of restrictions, and some are likely to want to travel even this way.
CNN's Francesca Street contributed to this story.
coronaviruscovid-19Lufthansa
