One of the main worries is the International Air Transport Association (IATA) report on public opinion about people's willingness to travel with a high risk of catching the Corona virus (Covid-19) during air travel.
Travel fears during the Corona pandemic crisis
Travelers take precautions to protect themselves from the Coronavirus, with 77% of respondents asserting that they wash their hands frequently, 71% avoid large meetings and 67% wear a face mask in public places, while about 58% of those surveyed expressed their unwillingness air travel at the present time, it also suggested that 33% said they would avoid travel in the future as a measure of continuing to reduce the risk of HIV infection.
Travelers mentioned the three most worrisome factors for them.
While they are at the airport
1. Being in the busy means of transportation (buses and trains) when they are heading to the plane (59%)
2. Waiting in the queues of checking passports, logging in to the plane, and boarding (42%)
3. Use of airport facilities (toilets) (38%)
on aboard of the plane
1. Sitting next to an injured person (65%)
2. Use of aircraft facilities (restrooms) (42%)
3. Breathing on board (37%)
When the questionnaire asked participants to arrange the three best procedures to make them feel safer, 37% reported checking the Corona screening procedure at departure airports, 34% agreed to mandatory wearing of face masks, and 33% indicated the need to apply social divergence procedures to aircraft.
Passengers also showed their willingness to participate in maintaining flight safety through:
1. Permanent check of passenger temperatures (43%)
2. Wear face masks while traveling (42%)
3. Pre-travel and online procedures (40%)
4. Take a Corona examination before arriving at the airport (39%)
5. Permanent sterilization of the seating areas (38%)
In this regard, Alexander de Juniac, Director General and CEO of the International Air Transport Association, said: "It is clear that there are signs of anxiety for travelers during periods of the spread of Corona virus, and they must follow the practical measures issued by governments in cooperation with the sector within the" take off "plan issued by the Aviation Organization. International Civil Society (ICAO), which includes wearing masks at all stages of the trip, launching tactile, non-touch technical solutions to complete travel procedures, as well as conducting periodic checks. "
He added: "This plan assures us that the sector is on the right path to restore confidence in the hearts of travelers, which is expected to take a long time, and to achieve the maximum benefit from these measures, governments must implement these standards at the global level."
The survey also mentioned some key issues in restoring confidence, as the sector will need to communicate the facts more effectively. The interests of passengers on board include:
Air quality on board: Passengers did not make a clear decision about cabin air quality, while 57% of travelers believed that the air quality is dangerous, while 55% of them indicated that they understand that the air quality is completely clean like hospital operating rooms. Air quality in modern airplanes is better than most indoor environments, as it pumps new air every two to three minutes while buildings pump new air two or three times every hour, as well as the HEPA filter system that gets rid of more Of 99.999% of germs, including corona virus.
Social spacing: advises governments to wear a mask (or cover the face) when it is not possible to make a social divergence, as is the case in public transport, which correspond to what Watha experts who put the "take-off" plan (ICAO), in addition to that, As passengers sit close to each other on the plane, the cabin air flows from the ceiling to the floor. This limits the potential spread of viruses or germs back or forth in the cabin. There are many other natural obstacles that prevent the virus from being transmitted on board, including the direction of passenger heads (reduction of face-to-face interaction), the appearance of seats as a barrier for transmission of infection from one row to another, and the limited movement of passengers in the plane.
There is no need to take physical measures on board the aircraft from well-respected aviation authorities such as the US Federal Aviation Administration, the European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency or the International Civil Aviation Organization.
There is no quick fix at this time
Nearly half of those surveyed (45%) indicated that they will return to travel within a few months of the epidemic receding, and this is a significant drop from the 61% recorded in the April poll, where results generally show that people have not lost their desire to travel, but New obstacles have emerged that prevent them from returning to their pre-crisis levels of travel:
The majority of travelers surveyed plan to return to travel to see family and friends (57%), to spend the vacation (56%) or to do business (55%) as soon as possible after the epidemic recedes.
But 66% said their travel rate would be lower on the recreational or business level than before the crisis
64% of them indicated that their travel would be postponed until economic (personal and wider) factors improved.
About the questionnaire
The survey of 11 countries, conducted during the first week of June 2020, assessed travelers' fears during the epidemic and possible schedules of their return to travel. This is the third questionnaire conducted by "IATA", after the two researches during the months of February and April, as the questionnaire was directed to people who made at least one trip since July 2019.