Risks from aviation flying ?

[AndrewMciver]

Flying Emirates next week. What are the covid infections risks of flying during this period?

 

Are people made to test flying Emirates, or can they get a test whilst in Dubai on arrival? 

 

How risky is it in general flying during this period. I believe everyone has to wear a mask, but you can remove them whilst eating. What if cabin crew are infected? What about surfaces, seating, IFE screens, trays, air filters?

[baansgr]

Everyone I know flying around Europe seems all planes are full to the brim..no distancing whatsoever, would assume it's the same on most flights. Contradictory to say the least, all the distancing and paperwork required before and afterwards only to be crammed in like sardines for 12 hours without an inch distance to the next passenger....

[AndrewMciver]

2 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Everyone I know flying around Europe seems all planes are full to the brim..no distancing whatsoever, would assume it's the same on most flights. Contradictory to say the least, all the distancing and paperwork required before and afterwards only to be crammed in like sardines for 12 hours without an inch distance to the next passenger....

 

I've been watching a few videos - and the check in, boarding, getting onto the planes has very little social distancing. Just rammed in queues with no social distancing. Crazy

[Golden Triangle]

Surely you would be better off asking the airline ? Not a Thai forum where many of us haven't flown for a number of years.

[TimBKK]

This is a pretty in-depth article that might be of interest:

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/nearly-11000-people-have-been-exposed-to-the-coronavirus-on-flights-the-cdc-says/2020/09/19/d609adbc-ed27-11ea-99a1-71343d03bc29_story.html
 

 

[treetops]

Emirates require passengers to have a Covid test before flying:

 

 

and to complete a health declaration form, available here.

 

https://c.ekstatic.net/ecl/documents/dubai-health-declaration-form.pdf

 

[TimBKK]

https://apple.news/AcqGq8zt6R9KKrIt41POEvg

 

 

[sandyf]

On 9/20/2020 at 8:34 PM, AndrewMciver said:

 

I've been watching a few videos - and the check in, boarding, getting onto the planes has very little social distancing. Just rammed in queues with no social distancing. Crazy

I flew from BKK down to Krabi a couple of weeks ago and the social distancing gets broken down by people, they think the notices do not apply to them and cannot control the urge to be first. The queues may start distanced but they soon bunch, the authorities are fighting a losing battle. You must wear a mask from the time you enter the airport until you leave the airport at the other end, unless you are eating or drinking, saw many walking about with a bottle of water in their hand and mask around the neck.

At disembarkation people were told to remain seated until it was time to disembark, it was done 3 rows at a time. Many stood up as soon as the wheels hit the ground and made to sit down again.

No snacks were served, you collected from a basket leaving the aircraft and we could not leave airside at Krabi without providing contact details.

[brommers]

And how many health declarations are honest & how many Covid test certificates have not been forgeries? People arriving in Bangkok from certain middle Eastern and S Asian countries have shown over 10% infected while in state quarantine despite having claimed to be clear prior to the flight. 

[Max69xl]

On 9/20/2020 at 8:34 PM, AndrewMciver said:

 

I've been watching a few videos - and the check in, boarding, getting onto the planes has very little social distancing. Just rammed in queues with no social distancing. Crazy

If it's crazy, don't get on an airplane. 

[mrfaroukh]

I keep hearing that people get infected from the place they travel but not sure if they get it in that country or not. Usually before travelling everyone have to test and if ok can travel. Now how it show they are infected while in quarantine is a mistry. Do they get it in the airport, in plane or in a place they are quarantine no body knows. If you have to travel make sure you eat something right before boarding, don't eat anything on the flight, take sanitizer with you and clean the area like your table etc

[treetops]

1 hour ago, mrfaroukh said:

Usually before travelling everyone have to test and if ok can travel. Now how it show they are infected while in quarantine is a mistry.

The authorities that put these systems in place know they are not foolproof and that cases of the disease will still be detected.  The point is that the quantity of cases will be greatly reduced than if they never took any precautions, and reducing the numbers makes it manageable and treatment available to all who catch it.  That's how it's meant to be, so no mistry (sic) about it.

Edited September 22, 2020 by treetops

[biggles45]

Who do u believe? Yesterday I read a news report that a female business class passenger had infected 20 passengers on a 10 hour flight. Last week I read a blurb from an airline about how safe their air con was in recycling and filtering the air. Someone is wrong! 

[Aussieroaming]

I flew back on a repatriation flight 3 weeks ago. On arrival in Bangkok one farang passenger subsequently tested positive for covid during his first ASQ test in Bangkok ASQ even though he tested negative before the flight. Nobody else from the flight subsequently tested positive as far as I know. The information was distributed to some passengers but not all. I heard via social media and that was later validated as fact through media reporting on new cases. So stay informed after your flight if you can.

 

The lesson I learned - even the foreigners who do the swab test as a compulsory step can test positive, so don't pal up to anyone on the journey thinking they are safe because they have been tested and were "negative".

 

Thais don't require a Swab test at all so pose a risk as well.

 

The flights are as full as they can make them, so if you have the coin then fly business for social distancing if you can. Not sure if they are manning up first class. 

[TheFishman1]

Fly at your own  risk I said earlier you can test negative and then when you learn you can test positive the tests are not 100% accurate. That’s why I may have to wait six months to a year to fly again

[daejung]

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/plane-safety-coronavirus-ventilation-air-filter-flight-risk-who-david-nabarro-a9612861.html

Quote

Air travel is “relatively safe” when it comes to the spread of coronavirus, an expert from the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.

David Nabarro, WHO special envoy for Covid-19, said this was because of modern aircrafts’ air filtration systems.

“So the one good thing about aeroplanes is that the ventilation system includes really powerful filters which means that in our view they are relatively safer,” he told BBC News.

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/health-safety/coronavirus-infection-how-likely-are-you-to-catch-covid19-on-a-flight/news-story/31a92f5d497b47ffba929ab798fedd99

Quote

HOW DOES THE VIRUS SPREAD IN THE CABIN?

COVID-19 spreads from droplets from an infected person that are ingested through the mouth, nose and ears.

Ventilation systems on planes are believed to be very good at controlling the spread of small aerosol particles.

The air we breathe in the plane cabin is a 50-50 mix of outside air and recirculated air from inside the cabin, which has passed through hospital-grade HEPA filters that can remove at least 99.9 per cent of bacteria and virus particles.

The air on the plane may be completely replaced every 2-3 minutes, compared with every 10-12 minutes in an airconditioned building, according to the BBC

 

Edited September 22, 2020 by daejung

[whiteman]

Fly at your own  risk I said earlier you can test negative and then when you learn you can test positive the tests are not 100% accurate. That’s why I may have to wait six months to a year to fly again       Or even longer I would say b4 i step foot on a plain again

[LukKrueng]

On 9/20/2020 at 8:26 PM, AndrewMciver said:

How risky is it in general flying during this period.

My son flew 2 International + 2 domestic flights between June and August. 2 quarantine periods 2 weeks each. No problems

** actually 3 international flights as 1 was with a long layover between connecting flights

Edited September 22, 2020 by LukKrueng

[The Theory]

I came back to Thailand on March when the China was really hot about Covid. My flight was LA to Taipei. it was beginning of Covid in the US. I knew that there will be some infected people on the board of plane, especially from Taipei to Bangkok since some mainland Chinese will join the flight from Taipei. I used gels and alcohol anytime I used lavatory (you need to keep doing this). I even cleaned my seat armrests by alcohol. Take some sanitizing tissues with you. I did not trust the crew (the wear gloves and touch anything you name it and not sure if they replace them after cleaning the lavatories). Every time I received my meal tray before start eating I cleaned my hands since I touched the trey. After the meal you give the tray back, clean your hands and the table surface by alcohol. 
you will be ok if take it serious and not failing ant step of cleaning. 

[sometimewoodworker]

13 hours ago, sandyf said:

I flew from BKK down to Krabi a couple of weeks ago and the social distancing gets broken down by people, they think the notices do not apply to them and cannot control the urge to be first. The queues may start distanced but they soon bunch, the authorities are fighting a losing battle. You must wear a mask from the time you enter the airport until you leave the airport at the other end, unless you are eating or drinking, saw many walking about with a bottle of water in their hand and mask around the neck.

At disembarkation people were told to remain seated until it was time to disembark, it was done 3 rows at a time. Many stood up as soon as the wheels hit the ground and made to sit down again.

No snacks were served, you collected from a basket leaving the aircraft and we could not leave airside at Krabi without providing contact details.

While an interesting post, that Is an internal flight in a country with an extremely small (1 or 2) number of cases in the non quarantine population. It has nothing to do with an international flight transiting a major hub.

[sandyf]

16 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

While an interesting post, that Is an internal flight in a country with an extremely small (1 or 2) number of cases in the non quarantine population. It has nothing to do with an international flight transiting a major hub.

If you wish to believe that procedures, and problems, at the airport, check-in, security, embarkation and disembarkation are not similar, that is up to you.