COVID Safety
Airplane cleanliness – the new first class By Jim Byers
In the past, Canadian airlines would battle back and forth over who had the best service or the fanciest meals on board. Now, with a worldwide pandemic raging, their marketing campaigns are focused on HEPA filters and sanitizing wipes instead of filet mignon and lie-flat seats. A recent study of travellers by OAG, an aviation analytics firm, found that 40 per cent of North Americans say they’re more afraid of catching COVID-19 on plane than anyplace else in their travels. The general public is clearly hesitant, but Canadian airlines say they’ve listened carefully and have made major changes. They also insist there’s yet to be a proven case of transmission of the disease on a plane. Canadian airlines have begun offering free health insurance to travellers. They’re also working with Canadian airports to try to bring in rapid COVID-19 testing, which could eliminate the need for mandatory 14-day quarantines
VIDEO T R A N S AT ’ S T R AV E L L E R C A R E The health and safety program of Transat features enhanced health and safety measures at check-in, during boarding, on board and at destinations. Passengers receive a complimentary care kit with a mask, gloves, hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes. Before each and every flight, planes are thoroughly cleaned with hospital-grade disinfectant, including seats, headrest covers, seat belt buckles, seat controls, seat-back pockets, armrests, light switches, air circulation controls, tray tables, individual entertainment screens, and overhead bins and handles. The entire aircraft also is cleaned every 24 hours with electrostatic disinfectant, according to Transat. Its company policy says that washrooms will be thoroughly cleaned and that only one passenger is allowed to wait outside the toilet. That means you might want to watch that water intake on your flight. 14 • Vacations ® • Winter 2020-2021
W E S TJ E T ’ S S A F E T Y A B O V E A L L Officials say all WestJet planes are equipped with “industry-leading air circulation systems containing a HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter similar to what is used in hospital environments, achieving a viral removal efficiency of greater than 99 per cent.” WestJet says its cleaning procedure provides a complete disinfection of the aircraft interior using a hydrogen peroxide-based solution cleaner. Billy Nolen, vice president of safety, security and quality at WestJet, said stepped-up safety measures also include taking temperatures of passengers before they board. WestJet passengers get disinfectant wipes, and, on flights of 60 minutes or more, they’ll get a bottle of water and a snack.
