Concerns about the role of air travel in disease transmission have intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stakeholders say more research is needed that involves real-world situations and human behavior and can guide actions to protect public health.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) says Congress should consider directing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop and implement a strategy for research on air travel-borne diseases, in coordination with other federal agencies and external partners.
Some research has already been done since the beginning of the pandemic. For example, Airbus, Boeing and Embraer released a joint publication of separate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) research carried out by each manufacturer in their aircraft. While the methodologies were slightly different, each detailed simulation confirmed that aircraft airflow systems control the movement of particles in the cabin, limiting the spread of viruses. This is supported by findings from a 2020 Department of Defense and United Airlines study that found passengers who wear masks are at very low risk of contracting COVID-19 on planes, even during packed flights.
Other research has examined the effect of different airline operations—such as rear-to-front boarding—on the risk of disease exposure. However, the stakeholders GAO interviewed described the need for more research involving real-world situations and human behavior. Additional research can inform the development of evidence-based mitigation measures, policy and regulations to protect public health. Stakeholders cited several challenges, particularly the lack of federal leadership to facilitate interdisciplinary research and address gaps, for conducting research on air travel communicable diseases. Stakeholders said the inability of researchers to access aircraft, airports, or data also poses challenges to conducting the necessary research.
GAO found that several agencies focused on those areas of research most relevant to their priorities and mission. Such agencies include the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the FAA Department of Transportation, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). But the government watchdog found that none of these agencies made efforts to advance needed research on air travel-borne diseases more broadly. Officials with each of these agencies said a more coordinated federal approach to identifying and advancing relevant research could generate valuable information and inform policy development and guidance. In addition, the realization of various assets of federal agencies can connect researchers with aviation stakeholders in areas of expertise, provide clearer access to federal research funding, and help to identify the research needed in different disciplines.
The FAA recognizes that it has broad authority to conduct and sponsor research on air travel-communicable diseases, but the agency has historically maintained that this work is outside its primary responsibility for aviation safety. The FAA is obviously at this time dealing with 5G, drones and advanced air mobility, all of which affect safety in the national airspace. GAO points out however that the FAA has prior experience in leading and supporting such research, as well as strong aviation industry ties critical to advancing the necessary research. In particular, GAO notes, the FAA has conducted related research in the past—usually in response to statutory mandates—including work on disease transmission in aircraft cabins. Additionally, the watchdog believes that leading the development of a coordinated strategy would be consistent with the FAA’s efforts to develop a national aviation preparedness plan, in coordination with DHS and HHS, as GAO repeatedly asked.
It is worth noting that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has shown the low incidence of transmission of COVID-19 during the flight. Out of a total of 1.2 billion passengers, 44 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in which transmission is believed to have been associated with flight travel.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified ongoing concerns about the role of air travel in the spread of disease and raised questions about the safety of passengers and crew. More interdisciplinary research, especially involving human behavior and real-world situations, would allow stakeholders to better understand the risks of disease transmission in air travel. Such research can provide insight into the effectiveness of various mitigation measures and inform the development of evidence-based policy and requirements to protect public health.
The GAO has determined that the FAA is unlikely to advance this research on its own initiative and is therefore asking Congress to consider directing the FAA to develop and implement a strategy to identify and advance the necessary research on the – diseases transmitted in air travel, in coordination with appropriate federal. agencies, such as DHS and HHS, and external partners. In line with leading practices for interagency collaboration, GAO says this strategy should, at a minimum, clearly identify roles and responsibilities for participating agencies, determine the resources needed, and document any relevant agreements.
