(airplane engine whirring)
- [Narrator] Flying means
going to the airport,
dropping off your luggage at check in,
maybe buying a coffee in the terminal,
and finally taking a
seat on a crowded plane.
That journey now looks to some travelers
like a potential minefield
for catching the coronavirus.
And that's one big reason so many people
have stopped traveling.
- It's no secret that the travel industry
has seen an incredible drop in demand.
- I think it's important for
them to put measures into place
that can help travelers feel
a little more comfortable.
- [Narrator] The crowded
spaces, shared surfaces,
and necessary human interaction
in airports and on airplanes
all have the potential to spread the virus
between travelers and
ultimately between countries.
- The airport experience, like
many of our experiences today
are going to be transformed
by these new technological capabilities.
- [Narrator] So what is the industry doing
to make us feel safe again?
And how could that change the way we fly?
Let's start at check in.
- The use of face masks by everyone
is going to be the most
important measure we can take
to minimize the risk of
transmission while traveling.
- [Narrator] In India,
passengers have to show
they have a contract tracing
app installed on their phones
in order to enter the terminal.
And at Delhi International
Airport, luggage has to go
through a UV sanitizing tunnel as well.
Inside the airport,
on top of disinfectant
wipes and hand sanitizer,
some companies have
started making prototypes
for self-service kiosks
that are touch free.
This one from Millennium Automation,
allows travelers to make
selections by moving their head.
- The evolution in that
direction actually started
significantly before the pandemic.
The pandemic has added urgency.
To the greatest extent possible,
if a touch is required,
it's on your device, on your phone.
- [Narrator] For those
with luggage to check,
kiosks that allow flyers to tag
and handover bags themselves
could become the norm.
But for now, many still
require you to pass luggage
off to an agent, which
means standing in line.
But now with all the basic
social distancing accessories.
- There are social distancing markers
in all of the queue areas.
There will be plexiglass shields
at every station where
an agent is available
to assist a customer.
- [Narrator] Next, comes security.
This is where some airports are trying to
not only prevent Covid-19 transmission,
but identify passengers that
may be carrying the virus.
London's Heathrow
Airport is running trials
of temperature scans to look
for travelers with a fever.
That said, a fever is only a symptom,
not a confirmation someone
has or doesn't have the virus.
And Lufthansa plans to
offer coronavirus tests
to flyers in Germany.
The airline says
travelers will get results
in about four hours.
- Nine eleven birthed the TSA.
We anticipate there is going
to be something to ensure
the customers safe transit
through air travel.
- [Narrator] In the US,
the TSA was already using
facial recognition, rather
than manual ID checks
to screen some travelers.
But with a desire for more touchless tech,
you might be seeing more
biometric entry in the future.
- To some extent, facial
technology may come into it,
for those who are comfortable with it.
- [Narrator] The TSA says
biometric checks are quicker,
but packed security lines
still pose a transmission risk.
One possible solution,
security appointments.
Montreal's International airport
has allowed travelers to book
a time slot online for years.
And a similar system
could help other airports
avoid crowding.
Once through security,
travelers face the potential
of crowded restaurants and shops.
At the Port Authority's airports,
flyers can use their phones
to order food and retail items
directly to their gate,
rather than risk lines
and further interaction.
It's important for airport's
revenues to get this right.
One industry group estimates
that airports bring in
about seven dollars per passenger
from non-aviation revenue.
Now that may not sound like much ,
but last year, 140 million passengers
passed through the Port
Authority's airports.
And some brands, like Estee Lauder,
have higher sales at major
airports than they do
in North American department stores.
But just waiting at the gate may not be
travelers best option either
as crowds tend to form ahead of boarding.
- If it were me, I would probably hang out
somewhere else in the
airport, at a different gate,
and wait until they're boarding.
- [Narrator] Delta is
hoping to avoid the rush
by boarding planes 10 flyers at a time.
And they still have to
be wearing those masks.
- [Bill] If customers do not
have a mask, we will have masks
and we will have sanitizer
available for them
throughout the journey.
- [Narrator] The plane itself
presents one of the biggest
challenges in avoiding
the spread of the virus.
For airlines, mitigation efforts start
before travelers board.
- [Bill] We do electrostatic spraying
prior to every departure.
The spray will kill viruses on contact.
- [Narrator] When boarding,
Delta, like some others,
is starting with passengers
in the back of the plane
to limit traffic jams in the aisle.
And Singaporean Airline Scoot
is restricting the amount
of hand luggage you can bring on board
to avoid a scrum at the overhead bins.
Once seated, travelers will
likely have some extra space.
Delta has, for now, banned the middle seat
and is limiting the amount
of passengers on board.
- No airline will be dispatched
above a 60% seating capacity.
So if there are 100 seats on board,
no more then 60 customers
on board the aircraft.
- [Narrator] Still that
seating cap isn't in place
for all airlines.
And some travelers have
reported crowded flights.
And when the middle seat does return,
it may be surrounded by dividers
or facing the other way.
The confined space makes
onboard ventilation
even more important to people.
Good airflow is key to
diluting the amount of virus
potentially floating around.
- [Bill] We use filters
called Hepa filters,
the same filters they use
in hospital ICUs and emergency rooms.
Every two to five minutes,
depending upon the aircraft type,
the air on board the airplane
is exchanged with outside air.
- [Narrator] Some airlines
are also eliminating
meal services, in flight
magazines, and duty free cards.
While others, including
Delta, are opting for
pre-wrapped snack packages,
all to minimize contact.
For now, airports and airlines
are able to implement some
of those strategies because not
that many people are flying.
Which is also due to travel restrictions
and reduced flights.
But the real question is
whether airports and airlines
will invest in these measures
and whether they can afford
to operate with them in the long run.
- We are not gonna give
up on our level of safety.
And if means that we have
got to completely re-engineer
our processes, in order
to allow more to come,
and allow profitability to
return, we are going to do it.
- [Narrator] Until there's
a world-wide standard,
a lot of these crucial
decisions will ultimately
come down to the individual
airlines and airports.
- These measures have to be effective
because if there is some
outbreak on an airplane,
then that's gonna, nobody's
gonna want to travel anymore.
