Air quality for domestic aircraft flights

Deborah-Claire McKenzie‍  a question for your volunteers in the IET Aerospace Network perhaps?

Yes its an interesting question and I'll draw their attention to this and ask them to respond.

I personally wouldn't go anywhere near an airport or an airplane until there is a veriifiable airport /check-in test for this COVID class of virus'.

As it stands, no ability to identify COVID-19 from persons who show no symptoms, no consensus across Europe/worldwide on isolation, reasonable distancing, no control over public gatherings, whether for protest or 'pleasure'.

It appears that compulsory testing is not available to the general population and absolutely no way of being safe unless one maintains continued isolation. 

So it is likely to be traveller beware. The blame culture that is now taking on momentum will, I suspect, carry no weight in a court of law against these multinational airlines.

Legh

As I understand it cabin air circulation does not include UV or HEPA filtering. On that basis, and general proximity anyway, I think you should travel iff you are happy to accept  there is a significant risk of infection, and can plan your 'what to do  if I get it ' process accordingly.

If you are in a high risk group, or in good shape but going to somewhere where care would not be available if you needed it, maybe you should set your affairs in order first, or not go. On the other hand  there are destinations in the world where there are higher risks from other things and people still go there.

I imagine insurance premiums for cabin crew will be a good guide to the real risk.

There certainly seems to be conflicting (bias either way) opinions on the subject of virus spread in aircraft cabins.  

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52822913

We tend to associate air travel with subsequent infections, generally coughs & colds a while after a flight. Does it take a pandemic to make aircraft designers think about air quality? Wasn't the BA146 rumoured to have poor air quality at one time?

Air quality is probably the least of your worries compared to some of the stuff living in the seats and soft surfaces !!


Regards


OMS

Yep - real live bugs in all stages of life


I did some work for a firm that manufactures and refurbishes aircraft seating for Airbus and Boeing - the stuff that lives under the seat covers is unbelievable


Regards


OMS

With the caveat that I'm not an expert in such things (I'm not an Aerospace Engineer by any stretch of the imagination) I did manage to find some info in a Briefing Paper on the IATA website (albeit published January 2018) which I've attached to this post and a link to a website with some further info too. https://www.aerotime.aero/gediminas.ziemelis/24688-the-air-in-a-plane-is-filtered-and-99-97-sterile


So I think in a nutshell, it's not the air quality in the cabin of an aircraft that's the problem. You are more likely to pick something up from the passenger sitting immediately next to you or from touching contaminated surfaces either in the aircraft itself or while you are in the terminal building. 


Probably prudent to wear gloves and not to touch your face...?