Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, commercial aviation is one step away from collapse. In these uncertain times, more and more planes remained on the ground. Although the airlines did not operate flights, they continued to incur costs.
The passengers were dissatisfied with the canceled flights and the fact that the money was not refunded. On the other hand, there are people who are now afraid to fly for fear of being infected with the new virus. And this mistrust leads to a decrease in the number of passengers.
The risk of getting COVID-19 infection in a plane is very low
To encourage people to fly, IATA is revealing a pandemic study. Since the beginning of 2020, only 44 cases of SARS-VOC-2 transmission have been reported following commercial flights.
During this period, more than 1.2 billion passengers traveled, resulting in an average of 1 case per 27 million passengers. And that happened before wearing the mask was mandatory at the airport and inside the aircraft. So the risk of getting infected with COVID-19 in the plane is very low.
Airbus studies, Boeing and Embraer came to the same conclusions, although they were slightly different depending on the aircraft models used in the research.
Thus, it was shown that the air circulation system inside the cabin controls the movement of particles, limiting the spread of the virus. The results of the three studies coincide with the low number of infections, although it is impossible to determine the exact number of infections following flights. The risk of infection is slightly higher in airports, but even so, it is well below the average infection in other closed environments.
ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) has implemented a guide that must be followed at the airport and on the plane
ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) has implemented a guide that must be followed at the airport and on the plane. This includes wearing a mask, limiting the interaction between passengers, limiting movements inside the aircraft during the flight, but also simplifying on-board services. Most airlines have implemented these measures.
To this guide is added the design of the aircraft that offers extra safety by changing the air in the cabin, which is done 20-30 times per hour. At the same time, HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters eliminate viruses in a proportion of over 99.9%.
The studies carried out demonstrate the cooperation and involvement of all those who work in this industry so that passengers feel safe on board aircraft. Another recent IATA study found that 86% of passengers who flew during the pandemic felt protected, and safety measures were followed.