• Aviation: airlines propose to free the central seat
  • Safety.The AirAsia uniform: visor, mask and full jumpsuit

At the time of flight, the Ministry of Transport has established the mandatory use of face masks that cover the nose and mouth of all passengers during boarding and flight. But in addition there are companies that have considered, to favor the safety distance, to cancel the central squares.

A measure now questioned, because blocking a third of cabin seats would increase the cost of airline tickets by up to 54% , according to the International Air Transport Association ( IATA ), which supports the use of masks for passengers and crew, but not the imposition of intermediate seats.

"The airlines are struggling to survive. Eliminating the middle seat would increase costs. If we can make up for these seats less with higher fares, the era of cheap travel will come to an end," said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA Director General.

According to the organization, the increase in airline ticket rates would be between 43% (for destinations in Africa and the Middle East ) and 54% ( Asia-Pacific ) depending on the region of the world. The increase in Europe would be around 49%.

FLY, HARDLY AT RISK

IATA ensures that the risk of virus transmission on board an aircraft is low , even without special measures, thanks to situations such as passengers facing forward, seats offering a protective barrier or constantly changing the cabin air. . He also warns that although it is mandatory, keeping the middle seat open "will not achieve the recommended separation for social distancing to be effective." Most authorities recommend a separation of one or two meters while the average width of the seat is less than 50 centimeters.

In addition, social distancing measures would cause a change in the aviation economy since they would reduce the maximum load factor to 62%. "That is well below the industry's equilibrium load factor average, which is 77%," says the organization.

"If airlines cannot recoup costs with higher fares, airlines will fail. It is also not a good choice when the world will need strong connectivity to help initiate recovery from the economic devastation of COVID-19," de Juniac said.

WITH ALL GUARANTEES

IATA is confident that " passenger and crew safety is paramount. The aviation industry is working with governments to restart flights when this can be done safely. We must come up with a solution that gives passengers the confidence to fly and keep the cost of flying affordable. One without the other will have no lasting benefit, "said de Juniac.

Other measures promoted by IATA for the protection of passengers and crews are the measurement of temperature of everyone who is at an airport; boarding measures that reduce contact between passengers and crews; limited cabin movements during flights; Deeper and more consistent cabin cleanings and streamlined catering procedures that reduce crew movement and passenger interaction.

When tested and available at scale, Covid-19 rapid tests or immunity passports could also be included as temporary biosecurity measures.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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