How safe is flying during Covid 19 pandemic?

For many months now, some of the major international airlines including service ratings leaders such as Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways have been allowing their passengers in business class to remove face masks inflight when in a fully reclined position (both of these airlines feature flatbeds privacy screens on their long haul business class service). I think it is welcome news as few find it comfortable to sleep in a mask during a 12+ hour flight. Is flying during the pandemic safer than we initially thought? Lufthansa recently made their mask standards even stricter and now require recent Covid tests to simply make airside transfer in one of their hub airports. We set out to see what research is saying about the risks of contracting Covid 19 inflight.

A few recent studies show the air quality in aircraft cabins of a commercial airline that’s flying at cruising altitude have the lowest levels of tiny aerosol particles compared to other indoor spaces such as restaurants, stores, offices, and public transportation. 

In August 2020, the US Defense Department’s study showed the risk of catching the coronavirus on a packed commercial flight would entail one passenger to sit next to an infected passenger for at least 54 hours before he or she could also contract the virus. 

According to researchers, if airline passengers wear surgical masks continuously throughout their flight, there’s a lower chance of the virus spreading due to how air is circulated and filtered on planes. 

The study used mannequins that expelled simulated aerosol to identify how the virus spreads inside an aircraft cabin. The mannequins, both masked and unmasked, were put in different places around the plane and released fluorescent particles designed to imitate the virus. Overall, there were 300 tests conducted for the study. 

Following the tests, researchers from the University of Nebraska found out that the virus was removed by the plane’s air filtering systems 15 times faster than in a typical home and 5 to 6 times faster than what is recommended in hospitals. 

However, other experts who contradict the effectiveness of the study said it did not examine the risk posed by the virus spreading in larger droplets that passengers can spread (such as while eating or talking, as well as the risks involved in getting to the airport, waiting to board a plane, using plane lavatories, and moving around on board, in airport lounges, or on boarding bridges). 

While the test had some limitations, it also offered a new way for researchers to understand the risks of flying during the pandemic. 

The deputy commander of the US Transportation Command, Vice Adm. Dee Mewbourne, said: 

“Within the scope of the test, the results showed an overall low exposure risk from aerosolized pathogens like COVID-19 on these aircraft.”  

Meanwhile, United Airlines, which donated flight time for the study, acknowledged the new research as a “landmark,” with Chief Customer Officer Toby Enqvist saying passengers’ chances of COVID-19 exposure in a United aircraft are almost nonexistent, even if the flight is full. 

The team of researchers that conducted the study recommended continued use of masks and additional cleaning to guard against any form of transmission. They also noted it is important for planes’ air filters to continue to run even when they’re on the ground and for passengers to still maintain physical distance. 

Aside from the US Defense Department’s study, Georgia Tech also conducted a study in July 2020 about the indoor air quality in aircrafts. 

The study included monitoring both the number of particles and their total mass across various indoor locations, including 19 commercial flights where measurements took place throughout departure and arrival terminals, the boarding process, taxing, climbing, cruising, descent, and deplaning. 

According to Nga Lee (Sally) Ng, associate professor and Tanner Faculty Fellow in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology: 

“We wanted to highlight how important it is to have a high ventilation rate and clean air supply to lower the concentration of particles in indoor spaces. The in-flight cabin had the lowest particle mass and particle number concentration.” 

Backed by Delta Airlines, the study may be the first to comprehensively measure particle concentrations likely to be encountered by passengers from terminal to terminal. Using handheld instruments, Georgia Tech researchers examined air quality in different Atlanta area restaurants, stores, offices, homes, and vehicles. 

The researchers also trained Delta staff to conduct the same types of measurements in the airline’s terminals, boarding areas, and aircrafts through all phases of the flight. 

During flights, aircraft air is exchanged between 10 and 30 times per hour. Some planes at cruising altitude are found to be largely free of pollutant particles found in air near the ground. Other planes mix outdoor air with recirculated air that goes through HEPA filters, which remove over 99% of particles. 

Among all the spaces measured in the study, restaurants had the highest particle levels, followed by stores, vehicles, homes, and offices. Overall, the study highlights the importance of improving indoor air quality as a means of lessening the coronavirus transmission. 

For Jonathan Litzenberger, Delta’s managing director of Global Cleanliness Strategy, the research helps advance the airline’s goals of protecting its customers and employees. 

“Keeping the air clean and safe during flight is one of the most foundational layers of protection Delta aims to provide to our customers and employees. We are always working to better understand the travel environment and confirm that the measures we are implementing are working.”  

Through the Delta CareStandard, the airline focuses on ensuring clean air onboard by replacing its industrial-grade HEPA filters twice as often as recommended. Delta has also put in place over 100 layers of protection to ensure a safe travel experience, including a comprehensive employee testing program and regularly sanitizing high-touch surfaces. 

Is It Now Possible To Fly Without Masks? 

Last February 2, 2021, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s mask mandate took effect, requiring passengers to follow the regulations or face the consequences of their disobedience following President Joe Biden’s executive order. 

However, as the policy goes federal, the Americans with Disabilities Act is loosening the restrictions on enforcement when it comes to flyers with special or medical needs. 

As stated in an article from the Business Insider, those who are exempted from the order are passengers who can’t wear a mask due to a medical condition, flyers who are 2 years old and below, and those who can’t wear a mask due to workplace safety regulations. 

Currently, American Airlines is allowing passengers with a doctor’s note and a negative COVID-19 test to fly without a mask. That’s if the note is submitted to the airline’s special assistance team beyond 72 hours from boarding and the COVID-19 test is taken within 3 calendar days of departure. 

Alaska Airlines also has a similar policy to American Airlines and requires passengers seeking an exemption to make accommodations at least 5 days from their scheduled flights. 

Meanwhile, Delta Airlines requires passengers claiming an exemption to undergo a virtual screening with an airline-provided medical professional. Flyers do the screening on the same day of their flight and are advised to arrive extra early to have it done. 

As some countries already have the majority of their population vaccinated, we hope for new research which would show masks can be removed in flight late this year and return to normal flying for at least vaccinated passengers.