The surge in the number of Omicron coronavirus infections has caused concern among people who have travel plans for the New Year’s period. Responding to people’s worries about the risk of contracting the new Covid variant onboard aircraft, the Airlines Association of Thailand (AAT) is reassuring air travelers of the high safety standards observed by airlines in Thailand.
AAT President Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth cited clarifications made by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which asserted that the aircraft cabin remains a very low-risk environment for contracting COVID-19 although Omicron appears to be more transmissible than other variants in all environments.
The IATA says on its website that the quality of supplied air onboard an aircraft is much better than most indoor environments. It explains that half of the air supplied on board an aircraft goes through HEPA filters and half is fresh air drawn from outside, adding that the HEPA filters onboard are 99.993% effective at removing viruses and bacteria.
The AAT president says that aside from the use of a high-grade air filtration system onboard, aircraft are routinely disinfected. He assured air travelers of the health safety on flights.
The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), while acknowledging the increased transmissibility of the Omicron variant, said last week the risk of contracting Covid on a flight is eclipsed by the much higher risk presented by visiting crowded places such as malls. The center reasoned that newer aircraft employ the same grade of air filtration systems as those found at hospitals.
Mr. Puttipong said Bangkok Airways, Thai Air Asia, Thai Air Asia X, Nok Air, Thai Smile Airways, Thai Lion Air, and Thai Vietjet Air have declared they are ready to provide their service during the New Year’s holiday period. All of the airlines have been urged to innovate for the purpose of increasing safety and meeting standards and requirements set by global authorities and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand.
He said passengers must rigorously observe air travel requirements. Masks must be worn throughout the flight, interprovincial travel requirements on vaccination and Covid test result must be heeded, and social distancing needs to be practiced. Furthermore, passengers are currently not allowed to consume food or drinks during flights. (NNT)
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