Traveller safety
What you should know if you have or need to travel by air
While the risk of catching an infection on an aircraft is typically lower than in a shopping center or an office environment, there are simple measures you can take to further reduce the risk of illness if you are travelling. These include practicing hand hygiene by washing them regularly with soap or an alcohol-based sanitizer, and not touching your face, especially eyes, nose, and mouth.
While you must not travel when you are ill, should you experience symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness during or after a trip, seek medical attention and share your travel history with your health care provider. Most governments also provide clear instructions.
All health instructions are aligned with the recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Fly safe, travel safe
Simple things you can do to fly safe:
- If you feel unwell, seek medical advice before travelling.
- Be aware of the travel rules and restrictions of your departure and arrival country. Visit www.iatatravelcentre.com for information.
- Then complete your travel documents:
e-VISA or travel authorization via online government portal
Contact and health information (or declaration, as per local regulations)(UK Public Health Passenger Locator Form) (NL health declaration) - Check in online with your airline and print or use electronic bag tags where available.
- Plan to wear a face-covering or mask, and check you have enough for the whole trip.
- Plan to have hand sanitizer* in case there is non easily available at your destination.
- Use physical distancing whenever practical. If you need to cough or sneeze, cover nose and mouth with a flexed elbow or tissue. Then wash your hands.
- Frequently wash hands using alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Inform the crew and seek medical care early if you become sick when travelling.
*Rules for carrying alcohol-based sanitizers: 100 ml max per bottle in cabin bag; up to 2kg/2l in total per person (hold + cabin bag); maximum single bottle size is 0.5kg/0.5l for hold luggage.
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How good is cabin air?
The modern cabin environment offers a low risk of transmission, for a number of reasons: passengers face the same direction, seatbacks act as barriers, air flow is top to bottom, but also very clean...
(Source: Pall Aerospace)
- 2-3 mins.
Cabin air is fully renewed about every 2-3 minutes.
Hospital ≈ 10 minutes
Offices ≈ 20 minutes - 99.97%
overall removal efficiency rating when tested using a DOP challenge or 99.99% when tested with a sodium flame challenge. - 50/50
Mix of HEPA filtered and fresh air onboard. And this is completely changed 20-30 times per hour. - 99.993%
bacteria/virus removal efficiency rate. Including SARS, which is similar to COVID-19, according to independent testing.
HEPA filters perform as well as hospital theatres and industrial clean rooms.
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