– By Vinayak Barot
New Delhi: To stop the spread of coronavirus infection during travel, The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is appealing to all travelers to wear masks.
The Director General and CEO of the IATA Alexandre de Juniac said, “This is a call for common sense and taking responsibility. The vast majority of travelers understand the importance of face covering both for themselves as well as for their fellow passengers, and airlines appreciate this collective effort. But a small minority creates problems. Safety is at the core of aviation, and compliance with crew safety instructions is the law. Failure to comply can jeopardize a flight’s safety, disrupt the travel experience of other passengers and impact the work environment for crew,”
The International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) key recommendation is wear face masks during travel and ICAO developed this with the World Health Organization and governments.
According to the Airline’s Terms and Conditions of Carriage, the passenger cannot break the rules under the plane ticket contract. Those conditions can include the airline’s right to refuse carriage to a person whose behavior interferes with a flight, violates government regulations or causes other passengers to feel unsafe.
All airlines are consistently highlighting the need to wear a face covering during the booking process, at check-in, at the gate and in on board announcements.
University of Edinburgh tested that face covering, when properly worn, can cut the forward spread of potential COVID-19 droplets from the mouth by 90%.
IATA’s Medical Advisor, Dr David Powell said, “The research we have seen to date, and our own investigations with the world’s airlines, tell us that the risk of catching COVID-19 on a flight remains very low. There appears to be a number of factors supporting that. The high flow rate of cabin air from top to bottom, constant filtering of air through state-of-the-art HEPA filters, the fact that all seats face the same direction and of course wearing a face covering and sanitization of the aircraft all play a part”
“This is not just about protecting yourself. It’s about protecting everyone else on the flight” Powell said.