Rafiq Jan
The million-dollar questions everyone is understandably asking amid COVID-19 outbreak: Is the air inside an aeroplane’s cabin contributing to the spread of disease fast? Will it be pure and clean enough this time to trust the airlines for a virus-free journey?
How Air Filtration Works
Air circulation system inside the modern aeroplanes is undoubtedly “state of the art”. Manufacturers spend billions of dollars on designing and creating the systems that produce the air free of any bacteria, dust mites, fumes, and obnoxious odours.
HEPA Filters (High-efficiency-particulate-air)
The HEPA filters continuously filter the air before passing it through the cabin. HEPA is an efficient air filter that filters 99.7% of the airborne particles from the breathing air in the cabin. Modern fleets like Qatar Airways, Emirates, British Airways, Delta, United, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and Qantas Air are offering this standard of cabin hygiene as a routine. On the other hand, other low-cost carriers operating older aeroplanes may be compromising on such luxuries due to non-compatibility of the equipment they use.
In modern office buildings, the air refreshes almost four times an hour. In a modern jet plane, it is upgraded 20 to 30 times every hour. According to Boeing and Airbus, it is refreshed every 2 to 3 minutes.
Authorities’ Opinion
International Air Transport Association (IATA) echoes confidence in these words, “The risk of catching an infection on a plane is far less than in a shopping mall, office environment, condominiums and residential apartments.”
Similarly, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) asserts that the current likelihood of contracting the virus while on a flight is extremely low.
Air filtration system inside the planes is at par with the “airborne infection isolation” rooms in the hospitals. In terms of air circulation inside the cabin, the aircraft is essentially as safe as hospitals.
Concerns of the World’s Top Health Experts
Most of the infectious viruses, bacteria and fungi do not easily spread due to the highly efficient air purification system installed on new-generation planes. But, the chances of contracting Coronavirus are present if people have to sit within a distance of a few feet from each other in a closed cabin for several hours.
Social distancing will not be possible on crowded flights despite precautions and preventive measures taken by the cabin crew.
Having said that, we still cannot rule out the possibility of virus contractions inside certain conditions. Besides germs, viruses, bacteria, and fungi, there are other elements of concern as well. Some of them are noxious fumes, smoke, haze, and mist, which may contaminate the cabin air at times without anyone’s control. The fumes emanating from electronic equipment are usually a potential source of air contamination inside air cabin.
Other factors vital for breathing clean air inside planes will be the standard of cabin cleaning/disinfection and ease of access to personal protective equipment (PPE). Such measures will depend upon the business volume and the brand of the airline. This is a highly debatable issue that only time will reveal after normalization of air travel.
WHO expressed its valid concerns as follow: The infection can quickly transfer from one infected passenger to another sitting in close proximity – something which is inevitable in a passenger plane.
It seems to be wishful thinking that the airlines will guarantee 100% protection from infectious virus contractions in the air. By staying in an enclosed cabin for several hours, there are always possibilities to touch the surfaces that might have a virus or bacterial accumulation by infected fellow passengers.
Plane manufacturers are mulling over possibilities to design ultra-violet cleaning systems and anti-microbial materials for use in future plane cabins – an idea that may take years to become a reality.
A word of wisdom
Air travel will not be a luxury in future due to high ticket prices. So those who can afford will dare to choose the carriers against the health risks. Others will have no choice but to go for a trade-off between their wallets and the luxury.
Since air travelling is at its lowest in the aviation history and it will continue to be so for the next two to three years, we need to ask ourselves if the trip is necessary at this time.
To stay healthy in your commute, consider choosing a premium airline that operates wide-body planes with much cleaner and spacious cabin ambience. Avoid airlines that break the trip into segments by changing the aircraft. Prefer a single long-haul flight instead of connecting flights to stay safe. Practice social distancing throughout the journey.
Some airlines may not provide PPE, so people must ensure to carry their paraphernalia including masks, hand sanitizers, face shields, disinfectant wipes etc. When taken consciously, these measures will significantly save us from contracting infectious viruses and bacteria in flights.
The author Rafiq Jan is an experienced Aviation analyst, current affairs blogger and a freelance writer.
