Can certain aircraft boarding procedures increase SARS-CoV-2 transmission risks?
Several outbreaks, including SARS, measles, influenza, and tuberculosis, have occurred during air travel. During the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, concern over outbreaks has caused a sharp decline in air travel, and passenger traffic was estimated to be 44–59% less than normal in 2020. Airlines have implemented several procedural changes in response to the pandemic. Two important changes include a decrease in occupancy by leaving the middle seat empty and boarding procedure changes.
Delta Airlines, for instance, introduced a modified boarding procedure, where boarding starts from the last row of the plane, with business class passengers still boarding first. United Airlines boards back-to-front rows with business class boarding last. The back-to-front boarding trend is intended to decrease the likelihood of passengers passing others while walking toward or taking their seats.