Passenger Confidence and COVID-19

This month, many airlines have slowly started to return to scheduled operations as some countries gradually relax travel restrictions. Travel is once again becoming a possibility and passengers returning to the skies will be based on three key factors -

1. confidence that it is safe to travel;
2. the practicality of the rules and regulations governing the movements of people;
3. financial capability

All three of these points are vital in dictating the shape of the recovery curve. How quickly passengers return to the skies will be dependant on their interplay, with no single factor being determinant. This article looks specifically at passenger confidence. 

Without doubt, airlines, airports and regulatory bodies have taken the pandemic seriously. This has led to passenger journeys being completely redesigned, the updating of cleaning protocols and regimes with the primary goal of minimising the transmission of COVID-19. The enhancements are extensive and based on the pragmatic analysis offered by the International Air transport Association (IATA), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). 

Airlines and airports have actively communicated their new passenger journeys through videos, social stories and infographics yet, a traveller's survey published by IATA (07 July 2020) showed that 65% of passengers are still concerned about sitting next to someone infected. 

The risk of contracting the virus from an infected passenger is an obvious and justified concern. To address this concern we need to look at it from two angles -

1. the likelihood of being infected by a positive passenger sitting close;
2. the prevention of an infected passenger reaching the aircraft;

The proximity of passengers leads to the false perception that the aircraft cabin is the place with the highest probability of contracting the virus. This is not the case and does not take into consideration modern aircraft and their safety systems.

IATA, Airbus and Boeing have published technical information supporting this hypothesis focussing on the effectiveness of High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtration, the laminar airflow in the cabin and the frequency of air exchange. These combined with the passenger seating position and the updated cabin procedures (including the wearing of masks) form solid layers of protection. These measures have been broadly communicated by almost all airlines.

Building confidence goes beyond this and requires passengers to understand the intrinsic role they play in minimising the spread of COVID-19. It is about recognising symptoms, ahead of travel, and taking the necessary actions, including postponing their journey. This is to protect the individual and other passengers. 

A paper published by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) in 2008 "Passenger health - the risk posed by infectious disease in the aircraft cabin", clearly illustrates this point. The paper builds on the learnings from SARs and despite it being 12 years old, it is still relevant today. One finding particularly resonates -

"Although the overall risk of transmission of infection in an aircraft cabin is low, passengers need to give sufficient thought to their fitness to fly – not only for their own health but also for that of the other passengers who will be travelling with them."

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing and temperature screening minimise the number of passengers with COVID-19 entering the passenger journey. However, the nature of the virus and its incubation means that these measures alone will not provide guarantees.

The approach needs to be layered involving airports, airlines, regulators and passengers. Each layer will provide incremental protection, reducing the risk of an infected passenger passing through the customer journey. The first and most critical layer is for passengers to establish if they are fit to fly. As an industry, we must make passengers aware of the possible symptoms and encourage them to delay their trip if they are unwell. Airlines must support them with ticket flexibility.

Providing a safe, clean and screened environment is the responsibility of the airlines and airports, to protect passengers and crew. It is as equally important to prevent infected passengers from starting their journey. Passenger awareness needs to be raised to aid the identification of symptoms, understand the implications of travelling if unwell and the options available to change travel plans. 

Until there is a vaccine, passenger confidence can only be built and maintained by transparently communicating the incremental protection achieved by each stakeholder taking responsibility. Preventing the spread of COVID-19 requires a concerted and coordinated effort by everyone.

ATSB Report: https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/2008/ar2007050/

IATA Traveller Survey: https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/pr/2020-07-07-01/