Spain Police accuse Iberia of not keeping distance between passengers

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(Credit: JAVIER SORIANO / AFP via Getty Images)

(CNN) - Spanish police issued a complaint against Iberia airline for allegedly failing to follow social distancing rules after passengers on a weekend flight complained about the capacity of their flight.

The Spanish Civil Guard told CNN that it was called on Sunday at the Las Palmas airport in the Canary Islands, after passengers on board flight IBE3838 from Madrid complained that the plane was too full. Upon arrival, officials said they noted that the airline "did not follow the health measures established by the government."

"According to article 14 of the State of Emergency, the airline will receive a complaint for not following the health measures specified in the state of emergency," a press officer told CNN.

"The plane is almost full and there is not even a separation seat between the passengers," a passenger posted on Twitter along with a video showing passengers complaining to flight attendants about the lack of social distancing inside the plane.

Iberia responded to that same tweet on Sunday saying it was following “all the security measures established by the authorities. We have reinforced our daily cleaning and disinfection of the cabin ”.

However, the flight took off a few hours after the Spanish government published a new decree on Sunday, part of the State of Emergency, which said that “the airlines must guarantee, according to the procedure they deem most appropriate, the maximum possible separation between passengers ”. As such, the order says it will be considered sufficient to offer the public only 50% of the aircraft's capacity. ”

On Monday, the airline released another statement saying that it continues to follow all the rules established by the government and that its staff "seeks the maximum possible separation between passengers, within the limitations of the plane," as well as the use of masks, soap in toilets and extra cleaning. The company also said its in-flight service has been streamlined to reduce movement and contact during the flight.

He also notes that both the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the aircraft manufacturer Airbus have said that "leaving the central seat locked is not a necessary measure to guarantee more safety" because the "air in the cabin is renewed every 3 minutes and HEPA filters kill viruses and bacteria with 99.9% efficiency. ”

Iberia Airlines has not responded to CNN's request for comment.

Iberia