British Airways has released a video emphasising the low risk of catching Covid-19 in flight.
In the video, which can be viewed below, British Airways’ medical lead, Dr Mike Harrigan discusses the various measure put in place by the airline (and most other major airlines) to reduce the irsk of catching Covid-19 in flight. These include:
- Asking customers to check-in online, download their boarding pass and where possible self-scan their boarding passes at the departure gate
- Requiring customers to wear a facemask at all times and bringing enough to replace them every four hours for longer flights
- Social distancing markers and hand sanitiser stations placed throughout airports
- New ordering system in lounges to reduce contact
- Cabin crew wearing PPE and a new food service, which reduces the number of interactions required with customers
- Providing customers with a personal protection pack including a sealable disposal bag, hand sanitising gel and an antibacterial wipe.
- Enhanced cleaning measures and HEPA filters
In the video the two also discuss the latest research from IATA.
This showed that since the start of 2020 there have been only 44 cases of Covid-19 reported in which transmission is thought to have been associated with a flight (including confirmed, probable and potential cases). Over the same period some 1.2 billion passengers have travelled, which is just one case for every 27 million travellers.
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As with other airlines, British Airways is hoping to convince governments and travellers that air travel is safe and that testing should be introduced on travellers to shorten quarantine times.
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The airline revealed this week that it has lost nearly six billion euros in the first nine months of this year, including extra costs associated with making 10,000 staff redundant and fuel hedging which has, so far, cost parent group IAG 1.9 billion euros. The financial statement also revealed that it will fly just 30 per cent of its normal flight schedule in the last three months of the year as lockdowns and continued travel restrictions hamper any attempt to return to profitability.
