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Boeing and Airbus Study How Coronavirus Behaves During Air Travel

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Published: Wednesday, 27 May 2020 21:32

Industry is working to curb pandemic risks that have brought air traffic to a near standstill

Boeing Co. BA 3.31% and Airbus EADSY -0.94% SE are researching the new coronavirus’s behavior inside jetliners, part of an industry push to curb risks that have brought air traffic to a near standstill.

Their work will involve academics, engineers and medical experts expected to examine new measures to prevent disease transmission on airplanes, according to the companies and people involved in their discussions.

The effort to better understand air-travel risks during the pandemic comes as airlines try to reassure nervous passengers that masks and filtered cabin air provide reliable protection from infection in flight. Global air traffic has plunged as governments closed borders and ordered would-be fliers to stay home.

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Is It Safe To Travel Anywhere? All Your Coronavirus Questions Answered

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Published: Monday, 11 May 2020 16:51

A Q&A for anyone confused about traveling right now: How to stay healthy, how to get a refund when you cancel a trip, and when it might be safe to travel again

Is there any place abroad that’s safe to travel right now?

In a nutshell, no. The novel coronavirus has spread to more than 100 countries and every continent except for Antarctica. In March, the U.S. State Department issued its sternest warning against international travel, citing the escalating coronavirus outbreak around the globe, increasing travel restrictions, quarantines and airline cancellations. The Level 4 advisory, which means “Do Not Travel,” is the highest level, typically issued for war zones but here applied to all international destinations. The State Department also urged those U.S. citizens already abroad to return immediately or prepare to stay outside of the U.S. indefinitely. Even apart from the State Department warning, American travelers won’t be welcomed in the growing number of countries that are closing their borders to nonresidents, including Canada, the 26 countries in the European Union, India, Israel and Australia. And due to the high number of confirmed cases on cruise ships, the CDC and the U.S. State Department are advising travelers, particularly those with underlying health issues, to avoid all cruise trips. The CDC also recommends older adults and travelers with underlying health issues to avoid long plane trips.

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‘Welcome to Your Flight, Nathan.’ Traveling During a Pandemic Means Having the Plane to Yourself

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Published: Monday, 04 May 2020 16:50

With the huge decline in air travel, those still flying have plenty of room.  Maybe everyone was running late, Juan Grimaldo thought.

It was earlier this month at the Phoenix airport, and Mr. Grimaldo, 22, had just arrived at his gate. He had finished a stint working on a construction site and bought a cheap American Airlines ticket home to El Paso, Texas. He knew the coronavirus pandemic would keep most people at home, but there wasn’t another passenger in sight.

As he approached, the gate attendant greeted him by name. That was odd, he thought. He boarded, bemused. A sea of empty rows gaped. “Then it hit me,” he says. “I was the only one on the plane.”

To fly is an experience that upends a sense of space and time. In the wake of the coronavirus, with millions of Americans sheltering in place, that is truer than ever. Airports sit eerily empty, symbols of how the virus has devastated the economy and airlines in particular. Air passenger numbers are down a whopping 95%, according to U.S. government data, with many airline workers laid off or furloughed.

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Boeing CEO Sees Slow Recovery for Global Aviation

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Published: Thursday, 30 April 2020 16:48

David Calhoun tells plane maker’s shareholders he doesn’t expect air travel to return to 2019 levels for two or three years

Air traffic may not bounce back for two or three years, Boeing Co. BA -0.23% Chief Executive David Calhoun said, outlining the tough outlook for global aviation to the plane maker’s shareholders on Monday.

“The health crisis is unlike anything we have ever experienced,” Mr. Calhoun said at the annual meeting. “It will be years before this returns to pre-pandemic levels.”

Mr. Calhoun laid out the coronavirus pandemic’s toll on the industry: Global airline revenues are set to drop by $314 billion this year. In the U.S., more than 2,800 planes are idled. Passenger demand is down 95% from last year.

“We are in an unpredictable and fast-changing environment, and it is difficult to estimate when the situation will stabilize,” he added. “But when it does, the commercial market will be smaller and our customers’ needs will be different.”

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