By Wole Oyebade
•‘International flights will boost confidence, local market recovery’
At least three in every 10 air travellers have vowed not to fly anytime soon over possible c
oronavirus infection during travel.
The finding, courtesy of a global survey conducted by the International
Air Transport Association (IATA), showed that a lot of the travelling
public were still wary, demanding that both operators and governments
should do more to restore confidence.
Meanwhile, stakeholders have urged the Federal Government to consider
reopening the international airspace soon, to further drive confidence
among air travellers and aid recovery of the local market.
The 11-country survey, which was conducted during the first week of June
2020, assessed travellers’ concerns during the pandemic and the
potential timelines for their return to travel. This is the third wave
of the survey, with previous waves conducted at the end of February and
the beginning of April. All those surveyed had taken at least one flight
since July 2019.
Indeed, travellers are taking precautions to protect themselves from
COVID-19 with 77 per cent saying that they are washing their hands more
frequently, 71 per cent avoiding large meetings and 67 per cent having
worn a face mask in public. Some 58 per cent of those surveyed said that
they have avoided air travel, with 33 per cent suggesting that they
will avoid travel in future as a continued measure to reduce the risk of
catching COVID-19.
Travellers identified their top concerns, which include being in a
crowded bus/train on the way to the aircraft (59 per cent), sitting next
to someone who might be infected (65 per cent), queuing at
check-in/security/border control or boarding (42 per cent), using
restrooms/toilet facilities (42 per cent), using airport
restrooms/toilet facilities (38 per cent) and breathing the air on the
plane (37 per cent)
When asked to rank the top three measures that would make them feel
safer, 37 per cent cited COVID-19 screening at departure airports, 34
per cent agreed with mandatory wearing of facemasks and 33 per cent
noted physical distancing measures on aircraft.
Passengers themselves displayed a willingness to play a role in keeping
flying safe. This is by undergoing temperature checks (43 per cent),
wearing a mask during travel (42 per cent), checking-in online to
minimise interactions at the airport (40 per cent), taking a COVID-19
test prior to travel (39 per cent) and sanitising their seating area (38
per cent).
IATA’s Director General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Alexandre de
Juniac, said people were clearly concerned about COVID-19 when
travelling. “But they are also reassured by the practical measures being
introduced by governments and the industry under the Take-off guidance
developed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). These
include mask-wearing, the introduction of contactless technology in
travel processes and screening measures.
“This tells us that we are on the right track to restoring confidence in
travel. But it will take time. To have maximum effect, it is critical
that governments deploy these measures globally,” de Juniac said.
Chairman, Airline and Passenger Joint Committee (APJC), Bankole Bernard,
said the safety conscious was expected, but travellers would get over
it with time.
Bernard, in fact, solicited that the international flights should resume
almost immediately after the testing of domestic flight, describing
both as complementary.
“Maybe the government can open international flights in two weeks’ time.
Remember that Nigeria is an import dependent country. So, our people
need to travel out to be able to bring in their goods. We really desire
that international flights resume on or before the end of the month to
compliment the domestic carriers. The international flights feed the
domestic as well,” Bernard said.
The survey also pointed to some key issues in restoring confidence
where the industry will need to communicate the facts more effectively.
Travellers have not made up their minds about cabin air quality. While
57 per cent of travellers believed that air quality is dangerous, 55 per
cent also responded that they understood that it was as clean as the
air in a hospital operating theatre. The quality of air in modern
aircraft is, in fact, far better than most other enclosed environments.
It is exchanged with fresh air every two-three minutes, whereas the air
in most office buildings is exchanged two-three times per hour.
Moreover, High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters capture well
over 99.999 per cent of germs, including the Coronavirus.
There is no requirement for social distancing measures on board the
aircraft from highly respected aviation authorities such as the US
Federal Aviation Administration, the European Union Aviation Safety
Agency or ICAO.
“It is no secret that passengers have concerns about the risk of
transmission onboard. They should be reassured by the many built-in
anti-virus features of the air flow system and forward-facing seating
arrangements.
“On top of this, screening before flight and facial coverings are among
the extra layers of protection that are being implemented by industry
and governments on the advice of ICAO and the World Health Organisation.
No environment is risk free, but few environments are as controlled as
the aircraft cabin. And we need to make sure that travelers understand
that,” de Juniac said.
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