The Boeing 787 is installed with an Air Purification System
Is it safe to fly during the Covid-19 pandemic?
Reacting to a scary message from a retired pilot that has gone viral in chat groups, friends have been asking me whether it is safe to fly in view of the current pandemic and the introduction of VTL and travel bubbles.
Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL) are exclusively for vaccinated travellers to enjoy quarantine-free travel and travel bubbles are temporary arrangements at restarting passenger services where international flights are suspended.
The viral message alleges that the recycled air in the cabin is highly infectious.
The truth is that the air purification system in all the new Boeing and Airbus planes are fitted with HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters (https://youtu.be/y39iO5rvzjs) which can capture particles the size of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Officially, certified HEPA filters can block and capture 99.97 percent of airborne particles over 0.3 micron in size.
The air you breathe in flight, though not necessarily entirely virus-free, is much cleaner than the air in restaurants, bars, stores, your office or a hospital operating room.
Even though the risk of infection is still possible, experts say that the infection risk is low when airports, airlines and passengers take the precautionary measures.
Studies show that the global risk of transmission during air travel ranges from 1 case for every 712,000 travelers to 1 case for every 8 million travelers.
As such, the risk of COVID-19 transmission is very minimal, even with infectious persons onboard. (https://tinyurl.com/yk4jeryy)
My daughter and family flew from London to Milan last summer during the Covid-19 pandemic. We were surprised when they related to us that there were still numerous people travelling by air to Italy.
Last month, two of my friends flew from Kuala Lumpur to Calgary via Vancouver in Canada on a long-haul flight of around 21 hours. They did not complain about the cabin air.
To the friends who asked me the above question, if you choose to fly for any reasons, that is your choice. This is similar to the many little risks in life that we take such as a car ride, going to the shopping mall or crossing the road.
The safety of travelling by air and getting infected during air travel are almost statically very close. So, I would fly with full confidence if it is necessary for me to do so.
If you choose not to fly, it is perfectly normal too as you can delay your flight until the situation is back to “normal”. However, when the new normal begins is still uncertain.
Conclusion
To fly or not to fly isn’t a very difficult question to answer. I believe the very cautious ones will delay their flights but those travel bugs who have been cooked up during the lockdown may proceed to book their tickets.
Whatever your choice, I wish you all the best.
See what is a HEPA filter here