PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Risk of contracting virus on airplanes - perspective
Old 19th Jul 2020, 13:55
  #25 (permalink)  
homonculus
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: london
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Lets concentrate on what we know about - aviation - and not speculate on coffee bars.

As I have posted before, I believe a vaccine is imminent. There are three vaccines in P3 trials which are known to produce a relevant immune response, and only one has significant side effects. Many more are but a few months behind. Regulators in the UK and US have indicated they will look at awarding a EUA (emergency use authorisation) based on what are known as ~50 and ~100 events - basically interim results. Meantime vaccine is being manufactured on a risk basis by the pharmaceutical companies.

I will stick my neck out further and say critical workers may be vaccinated in Q4 2020 and potentially the US public by January. The issue will be persuading people to fly en masse. As has been said above, business travel may be dramatically reduced by new working patterns, whilst pleasure flying may be reduced by anti vaxxers plus more interest in domestic holidays plus reduced spending power and increased unemployment.

The airline industry could do worse then plan to maximise take up from this reducing customer pool by dealing with lilpilot's spot on post about the burden on passengers. Quite frankly flying as a pax is a pain, is uncomfortable, and stressful. How about a flying passport with all your passport data, visa or ESTA data, frequent flyer, Covid-19 vaccine status etc etc loaded. If airlines provided a smart card where you enter the membership number to book and simply show it with your passport we could remove so much hassle. Then look at pricing software, terminal handling etc etc.

The airlines arent flying planes. If they dont spend the time planning the new normal for those passengers who are willing to return, they deserve to fail.
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