Public Unconvinced Air Travel is Safe during Coronavirus Pandemic

WASHINGTON, KOMPAS.com – Business for airlines has been slow to pick up since the coronavirus pandemic shifted public perception of air travel.

Surveys have indicated that more people are becoming skeptical about air travel since the pandemic struck.

Airlines, on the other hand, are pulling all the stops to convince a wary public that its health measures make sitting in a plane safer than other indoor settings as the transmission of the novel virus continues.

Mandatory face masks and hospital-grade air filters are some of the health and safety measures airlines have implemented, but the public remains largely unconvinced.

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In the United States, airline bookings have stalled in the past month after slowly rising — a reaction to a new surge of reported virus infections.

Globally, air travel is down more than 85 percent from a year ago, according to industry figures.

The implications for the airline industry are grave.

Several leading carriers already have filed for bankruptcy protection, and if the hoped-for recovery is delayed much longer, the list will grow.

The four largest US airlines lost a combined $10 billion from April through June. Their CEOs say they will survive, but they have lowered their expectations for a rebound.