If a passenger on board shows COVID-19 symptoms
There was a suspected case in my airplane, will the aircraft be disinfected?
After removal of any COVID-19 suspected case, cleaning and disinfection of the aircraft should be performed in accordance with the Safety Information Bulletin SIB 2022-03 ‘Enhanced cleaning and disinfection of aircraft surfaces – Operational Recommendations’.
What will happen if I start feeling unwell during the flight?
If, after take-off, you start to experience symptoms compatible with COVID-19 such as Fever or chills, Cough, Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, Fatigue, Muscle or body aches, Headache, New loss of taste or smell, Sore throat, Congestion or runny nose, Nausea or vomiting, Diarrhoea, you should immediately contact the cabin crew and advise them of the situation. You can expect the cabin crew to respond by:
- Ensuring you are wearing your medical face mask properly and have additional masks available to replace it in case it becomes wet after coughing or sneezing.
- If you are having difficulty breathing, medical assistance and oxygen supplementation should be offered.
- You may be asked to move to another seat away from other passengers. See 'Will passengers that show symptoms be isolated on board?'.
My travel partner/ my relative shows some symptoms, what should we do?
If you are accompanying the suspected passenger, you ma also be asked to war a face mask for the entire duration of your travel, even if you do not exhibit any symptoms.
Will passengers that show symptoms be isolated on board?
Passengers who develop symptoms on board the aircraft will be asked to wear a face mask and may in certain circumstances be isolated from other passengers.
What happens if someone near me on the flight is taken ill?
Subject to the policy of the national public health authority, Passengers who were seated in the same section of aircraft with the suspected case, as defined by seat configuration, are usually considered close contacts of the suspected COVID-19 case. They might need to be interviewed by the entry country public health authorities if the suspected case is confirmed. Depending on the configuration (e.g. if the entire cabin of the aircraft is one section) it may in fact mean all the passengers in the particular flight. In addition, if contact tracing discovers a new case among the passengers, then contact tracing of all the passengers in the particular flight should be considered.
Are there special procedures in place on board the aircraft to prevent spread of the virus?
Airlines have been provided with specialist technical instructions to ensure the air quality in the cabin is as high as possible. The air quality in the cabin is higher than many of us regularly breathe on the ground. This is because the entire air supply is typically exchanged every 3-5 minutes. In addition, most modern aircraft use high quality filters, known as HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters, which are fine enough to trap the viral load and release clean air.
Passengers themselves are expected to behave responsibly for their own welfare and for the good of their fellow passengers. In particular, you will be expected to adopt:
- Hand hygiene, particularly before eating or drinking and after use of the toilet
- Appropriate use of medical face masks
- Respiratory etiquette – cough or sneeze into a paper towel or flexed elbow
- Limiting contact – do not touch cabin surfaces unnecessarily and try to stay in the seat as much as possible
- Reducing the use of individual air supply nozzles as far as possible, unless otherwise advised by the cabin crew on your flight
What happens in case of emergency?
In case of emergency, follow the instructions as shown during the safety demonstration. If cabin pressure is lost and oxygen masks are released, passengers should remove their medical face masks before putting on the aircraft oxygen masks and follow any further instructions from the air crew. As always, remember to secure your own supply of oxygen before helping others, such as children. Note that air crew members will remove their protective face masks in case of any emergency, so as to facilitate the communication of instructions to passengers.
How is air recirculated in the cabin and is it safe?
The quality of air provided during a flight is very high. This is due to frequent exchange of air (the entire air supply is typically exchanged every 3-5 minutes) and the High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters which are used on board of most modern aircraft. Airlines and airport operators will work together to ensure that passengers are not kept on board an aircraft without proper ventilation for longer than 30 minutes.
What happens if a passenger “misbehaves” or doesn’t want to follow the rules?
Where national requirements are still in force regarding COVID-19 specific measures, passengers who do not voluntarily follow such requirements or abide by crew instructions will be treated as “unruly passengers”, the term used in the industry for passengers who misbehave on board, for example through intoxication or through verbal or physical altercations with others on board.
This can lead to immediate action on board to curtail such activities, with possible further consequences on landing, depending on the local regulations.
Where covid-19 are not required, you should respect the choice of other passengers.
Have a look at our communication "Not On My Flight".
I forgot to take an additional medical face mask and the one I am wearing is wet. What should I do?
Passengers should ensure sufficient supply of medical face masks for the duration of their journey. Airlines may carry a number of medical face masks on board, especially for long-haul flights where the need to change masks may be advised by public health authorities. However you should not rely on airlines to supply you with face masks, as the number of face masks carried by the airline might be limited.