Is it safe to fly? Air quality on the plane
Things have changed a lot in aviation . To the convulsive times that the industry itself is experiencing and which estimates that it will not recover 100% until 2024 , the lack of confidence that a passenger experiences when flying in a closed space with hundreds of other people is added. To try to instill tranquility, the airlines have gone to work.
Now you have to remain with the mask on throughout the flight (in the case of Qatar Airways , in addition, you have to carry an additional screen), aircraft cleaning procedures have changed , It is required social distance when boarding and some airlines, such as Delta , they are clear that at least until September they will continue to block the center seat of their planes (which means flying at no more than 77% of its capacity). Food and drink service on board has been reduced to the bare minimum, or directly canceled on short-haul flights, and movements in the cabin -such as queue for the bathroom - are also not allowed.
We know that all these measures are certainly uncomfortable, but what we are not so clear about is that they are sufficient . In principle, and as it is a closed space with many people , the general risk of contracting a disease on board an aircraft should be similar to that of other limited areas with high occupant density , as a bus, subway or movie theater ... except because the planes have an advantage that the previous ones do not have and that probably makes the risk less than in many other spaces: its modern cabin filtration system equipped with HEPA filters . This is what makes an airplane a safe environment.
This is confirmed Javier Roig, General Manager of Finnair for Southern Europe :"The protection and safety of our passengers and our staff is the highest priority. Of course we have implemented comprehensive measures to ensure the protection of the health of passengers , according to the guide EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency): intensified aircraft cleaning , renewed process for the embarkation, disembarkation and service on board reducing unnecessary movements and contacts, mandatory use of masks for passengers and masks and gloves for the crew. And he continues: “in addition, the HEPA filters that our Airbus constantly renew the air in the cabin , creating an interior environment similar to what can be found in an operating room”.
BUT WHAT IS A HEPA FILTER?
According to the European classification of air filter efficiency, a HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particulate Arrestors) can re-filter the air achieving between 85% and 99.995% removal efficiency . Manufacturers like Boeing or Airbus have chosen in the production of their aircraft cabin air recirculation systems similar to those that we would find in a hospital, since in addition the recirculated and filtered air provides higher cabin humidity levels and lower levels of suspended particles. To all this should be added, in addition, that passengers must wear the mask throughout the flight , which means continuing to add barriers to minimize contagion.
HOW DO HEPA FILTERS WORK?
The air we breathe in the cabin of an airplane is a mixture between air extracted from the outside and the air inside that is renewed and filtered through these powerful filters . HEPAs are highly efficient and remove up to 99.9% of suspended particles from the air , neutralizing them inside. As we have discussed before, these powerful filters have proven to provide fresh air It meets standards similar to those used in hospital operating rooms, although they are not the same.
DO HEPAS REMOVE IT ALL?
No. As confirmed by IATA itself in a document prepared from information provided by the main manufacturers, air filters can remove very small particles, such as bacteria and viruses , and virtually all viruses and bacteria are removed, even the most difficult particles in the range of 0.1 to 0.3 microns are filtered with an efficiency level of 99.995%. But below that size, which is highly unlikely, HEPAs don't work..
HOW OFTEN ARE THE FILTERS CHANGED ON AN AIRPLANE?
The range varies by aircraft model and manufacturer. Most airlines replace cabin air filters at scheduled aircraft maintenance periods on a routine basis, provided these intervals do not exceed the filter manufacturers' recommendations. And in aviation, nothing exceeds the recommended time , quite the contrary, since the margins of maneuver are very wide.
THE IMPORTANCE OF AIR, IN AVIATION AND IN LIFE ITSELF
Since the WHO confirmed that COVID-19 can also spread through the air, the issue of its purity is on everyone's lips , as " better ventilation is the key to fighting Coronavirus in closed spaces ”. are words of Maria del Mar Romero , an industrial engineer, who has been working for years in the field of air conditioning, sustainability and air quality , who also highlighted that "we are what we eat but also what we breathe".
The CEO of Indoorclima , she clarifies that "good interior ventilation is essential for health, hence as a result of this pandemic we have all put special focus, or should, on air quality ”. And she continues: “ On an airplane, recycling the air we breathe is the most important thing to avoid contagion , as well as in closed spaces on land where ventilation becomes more complicated, such as airports or large surfaces”. In aviation, the air in the aircraft cabin is completely renewed every 3 minutes..