Iata says risk of virus spread in aircraft low, opposes removing middle seats

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While airlines are taking all the necessary precautions, passengers also have to do their part, including minimising activity aboard aeroplanes.
While airlines are taking all the necessary precautions, passengers also have to do their part, including minimising activity aboard aeroplanes.

Dubai - No passenger-to-passenger transmission of coronavirus has been reported so far during flights

By Waheed Abbas

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Published: Tue 5 May 2020, 9:30 PM

Last updated: Wed 6 May 2020, 6:26 PM

The International Air Transport Association (Iata) on Tuesday said air travel is safe because the risk of coronavirus transmission is low, while also opposing removing middle seats in aircraft as part of social distancing rules.
While giving a briefing, the global aviation body said no passenger-to-passenger transmission of coronavirus has been reported so far during flights.
"The neutralisation of the middle seat brings no additional guarantee of safety onboard from the virus. It is not something tangible. Most global airlines would not have been able to make money last year if a third of the seats had been removed," said Brian Pearce, chief economist of the Iata.
Alexandre de Juniac, director-general of the Iata, had said last month that leaving the middle seat empty was among the likely conditions for a resumption of air travel to be discussed with governments around the world.

Limiting movement in cabins
Dr David Powerll, medical advisor of the Iata, stressed that the risk of onboard transmission of the virus is low because there is no stagnant air, the air flow rate is high and air supply is also highly-filtered, therefore, minimising droplet spread within cabins.
He said normal seat allocation can be maintained but recommended certain in-flight measures, including limiting movement within the cabin during the flight, mandatory wearing of masks or face coverings onboard ad simplified catering procedures to limit movement and interaction.
He noted that face-to-face interaction is limited, seat backs provide a physical barrier between rows and there is a little mixing when passengers are sitting still, which would help contain the virus.
An analysis of 18 airlines conducted bythe  Iata showed that there were three instances of passenger to crew infections, four instances of pilot-to-pilot, but there was no passenger-to-passenger transmission of coronavirus during flights.
"The risk of onboard virus transmission is low because people are generally avoiding travelling when they're unwell. They also avoid touching each other and surfaces and cover their faces when coughing or sneezing. Nobody has demonstrated that having an empty middle seat reduces chances of Covid-19 from one person to another," he added.
Dr Powell noted that all the modern Western jets are safer because recycling air supply is not an issue in these aircraft. But the only exception are some old-generation planes and some certain categories of turbo-type aircraft that circulate air without filtration.
"So the air circulation is not issue, but droplets from one passenger to another is," he added.
- waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com


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