IATA: No Need For Social Distancing On Planes, Wear Masks Instead

 International Air Transport Association (IATA, an airline lobby group) is stating that it does not support mandatory social distancing measures that would leave middle seats empty, but instead supports passengers and crew wearing facemasks. Their main evidence for this claim seems to be two flights that contained symptomatic passengers that lead to no onboard transmissions. They state keeping the middle seat open wouldn’t even meet social distancing guidelines as the average seat width is 50cm and most authorities recommend 1m-2m. IATA also wanted airlines to have the ability to deny refunds for flights that the airlines themselves cancel and instead offer vouchers.

I don’t think I have enough access to data to make an informed decision either way. My gut feel is that passenger loads are so low at the moment anyway it really doesn’t hurt airlines to keep that middle seat open. The other thing that airlines need to start worrying about is consumer confidence and reducing distancing between other passengers seems like an easy win in that department.

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Peter
Peter (@guest_977478)
May 11, 2020 14:41

Because who could doubt the intentions of corporate lobbyists?

Chris H
Chris H (@guest_976812)
May 10, 2020 10:54

The IATA, makes some good points. Let’s hear them out. We need them to clarify which flights have 6 feet social distancing problem?

All of them? Okay, Then the only rational solution is: We will now limit those (all) flights to 1 passenger (Or family) per row. – Thanks IATA, for being the final straw that forces all airlines to bankruptcy. – I really don’t look forward to driving to Florida, or taking a boat to Europe.

***And yes, everyone will still be required to wear masks. Our appreciation to the IATA for unintentionally including 1 good piece of advice in their recommendation.

Bob Unferth
Bob Unferth (@guest_976328)
May 9, 2020 16:03

To get their planes in service and more of their employees working, the airlines need paying passengers. I think the number of paying passengers will increase as confidence builds that one will not catch a terrible disease on the flight and die.

Not dying, for some reason, is really important to people; look at the enthusiasm for taking a flight on the MAX.

Airlines that cater to that desire will get some passengers who normally flew other airlines, and those passengers may, in many cases, stay with their new found friend even after the cure, the vaccine and herd immunity. Thus, I think, it’s kind of dumb to pack the plane right at this point when very many people are freaked out about dying, there’s no cure, no vaccine and no herd immunity.

So, if I were an airplane, I would promote mandatory face masks for crew and passengers and no middle seat booking. No passengers will mind not being able to book the middle seat (maybe an exception could be made for family members on the same booking), and, I think, the ones who won’t fly because of the mask are out numbered by the ones who won’t fly without.

Security
Security (@guest_975757)
May 8, 2020 23:47

“Their main evidence for this claim seems to be two flights that contained symptomatic passengers that lead to no onboard transmissions. ”

Ah yes. I too like to present cases based on a sample size of 2.

Kerry
Kerry (@guest_975809)
May 9, 2020 00:56

IATA is only following the science of the current Teump regime: no science.

Fathiss
Fathiss (@guest_975941)
May 9, 2020 06:56

@Keery: I guess you don’t watch the Task Team on TV. His regime has many prominent scientists on it.So your “no science” claim is bogus. I guess your sample size is less than 1.
I’m not trying to be political here. Just casting shade on other’s political crap we read here frequently.

lenin1991
lenin1991 (@guest_975739)
May 8, 2020 23:07

> IATA, an airline lobby groupon

Today only, buy two lobbyists for the price of one!

Gerald
Gerald (@guest_976661)
May 10, 2020 00:13

Lobbyists buy people (politicians in particular), not the other way around.

Jake Poysti
Jake Poysti (@guest_975589)
May 8, 2020 20:03

I think it’s helpful to point out that the IATA isn’t a group of medical experts but rather the association for airlines. Seems to me there is a strong conflict of interest here.

Mjs
Mjs (@guest_975574)
May 8, 2020 19:55

Instead of based on known science, these IATA “medical” proposals are so bad, even Joseph Mengele would think they went too far.

J T
J T (@guest_975604)
May 8, 2020 20:21

Too soon.
/s

Kerry
Kerry (@guest_975811)
May 9, 2020 00:57

Who is Josepg Mengele?

Peter
Peter (@guest_975827)
May 9, 2020 01:15

He was a Nazi officer, escaped and never got caught. He was one of the main persons doing experiments at the C Camps. Rest you can research, i’ve forgotten much about him.

HaveMiles
HaveMiles (@guest_975561)
May 8, 2020 19:41

I don’t think anyone is realistically expecting empty middle seats and other distancing measures to continue forever, but while we continue to have community spread and air travel demand that is 10% or less than it was a year ago it makes all sense in the world to implement measures to keep passengers safe and slowly stimulate demand.

Those fancy “hospital grade” HEPA filters are useless if the passenger in the seat next to me (or potentially even behind me) coughs or sneezes and doesn’t wear a mask. The cloud of particles coming out of their mouth and nose isn’t magically first directed through the cabin air filters before they hit my face. And even if both parties were a mask (which isn’t guaranteed during meal and beverage service, which long haul flights guarantee), that still isn’t a guarantee. Thousands of positive-tested medical workers are evidence.

As for the vouchers, that is just plain ridiculous. I am not going to book any flights if those are the T&C. It’s not like we taxpayers didn’t trust give them billions of dollars in bailout grants and loans…

MoreSun
MoreSun (@guest_975559)
May 8, 2020 19:37

To summarize: IATA would like member airlines to continue paying their dues and are happy to say anything airlines would like to hear in order to make that happen.

CongestionCharge
CongestionCharge (@guest_975552)
May 8, 2020 19:26

“So because our clients have made all their seats child-size they should be able to sell out a plane if they want to.”
P.S. wear a mask – IATA

Kafka
Kafka (@guest_977247)
May 11, 2020 08:56

Let’s not assume two terrible things are related. There’s still not six feet of distance between Cathay’s 36″ first class seats.

To get 6 ft between passengers in a Frontier A319, you’d need to keep three seats and an isle between passengers (e.g. one passenger in window seat A and a window-middle couple in E and F per row) and two empty rows between passengers. That’s 27 passengers in a 150-seat plane. If they’re willing to pay five times as much (napkin math: $600 for a one-leg domestic flight on Frontier) that’s really not terribly unreasonable.