Covid-19 is going to change the air travel
Prior to the attack on the Twin Towers, there were six major airlines in the United States, the world's most attractive air travel market. That number dropped to four in the aftermath of the attack.
Alice Springs is a small town in the Outback region of Australia known as the arid and desert region. Scientists have found evidence of local indigenous people living in this place for about 30,000 years. But in recent times a new kind of inhabitants has been gathering in this ancient settlement. Although these residents are not actually human but a swarm of giant airplanes.
Only last April, four giant Airbus A-360 Super Jumbo jets flew. The 500-tonne giant aircraft is owned by Singapore Airlines. Singapore, of course, is not alone, but the overnight drop in passenger numbers due to the ongoing global epidemic has forced airlines around the world to park their entire fleet at Alice Springs.
This part of Australia is very arid, so the presence of water vapor in the air is very low. Compared to that, if the aircraft is stored in the sultry, humid weather of Southeast Asia, there is a higher risk of rust on the parts. The city's small airport also has a long runway for landing commercial aircraft. Again, although stored for a long time due to dry weather; It is less likely to damage the aircraft.
Passenger transport by air after the coronavirus disaster will not return to normal before the epidemic. That's why global airlines have chosen to save Australia's outback. News from the BBC.
This is not the first time that a passenger crisis has taken place, even after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Only 163 crore people traveled by air in 2002 due to security risks. Compared to the previous year, which was reduced to about 3 crore. In this situation, the airlines were forced to cancel a huge number of flights. It is also forced to save many aircraft. But the partial collapse in the number of passengers does not fully reflect the situation at that time.
In the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks, many airlines sought to survive by merging with others in order to survive. Initiatives such as layoffs save costs.
Prior to the attack on the Twin Towers, there were six major airlines in the United States, the world's most attractive air travel market. That number dropped to four in the aftermath of the attack.
But the current passenger collapse has new dimensions. Such a collapse of air transport is unprecedented in the history of the industry concerned. So how the next Kovid-19 air travel will be depends on certain things.
But first we need to look at the causes of the passenger crisis. The number of air travelers has dropped the most in the wake of government policies to curb the spread of the virus. Some countries like India, Malaysia and South Africa are no longer issuing tourist visas. On the other hand, some countries like Australia, New Zealand and the United States have canceled visa-free travel for tourists.
Such a move would not only discourage the travel of millions of people, but also stop airlines from serving all the world's most attractive air transport markets. Because in this situation, they have no financial reason to continue flying empty planes. Therefore, the normal movement of passenger aircraft is dependent on the relaxation of the visa policy imposed by the government.
Contract Travel Area:
Already some countries have taken some steps to relax travel restrictions. As such South Africa recently announced the launch of their tourism industry. Of course, foreigners will not get this opportunity. Locals will be allowed to travel only on internal routes. Foreign Minister Mammoloko Kubayi has hinted that foreigners will have to wait longer. He said, "The issue of openness to international routes will be taken up through the analysis of scientific information." Ensuring the safety of the lives of the citizens will be the priority in this case.
The South African minister's remarks highlight one aspect. That is; In addition to providing financial benefits to its citizens, governments now have to strike a balance between making important decisions to ensure their health and safety.
Travel bubbles can be another way to travel in the face of existing travel restrictions in many countries. The travel system is now unofficially called the 'Coronavirus Corridor' or 'Sky Bridge', according to tourism industry officials.
Under this, some countries can introduce transport services among themselves through special agreements. In particular, corona infections will be allowed to travel from countries that have had little or no control over them. The suspension of travel from countries other than the signatory states will also greatly reduce the risk of airborne infections in the region.
The big challenge is to ensure accurate results in Corona tests:
The UK government has allowed travelers from 50 countries to travel to England without quarantine from 10 July. Announcing the announcement, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: Only such precautions will be taken in the case of travelers to those countries.
But in such a movement, the passengers have to rely on their own judgment. If one travels by air despite feeling the symptoms; This will increase the risk of other passengers being infected with Covid-19.
Take, for example, the special contract air transport zone between the United Kingdom and France. If a French citizen travels to a country (e.g., the United States) where there is a terrible coronavirus infection, then enters the United Kingdom via France; Only then can the whole system of 'air bubble' break down. It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post.
The issue is more obscure in the case of movement in zones where there are no borders between the countries of the European Union.
So the most risk-free way is to have a quick corona test at the airport. This will allow authorities to test passengers for immediate viruses. As a result, an initiative can be taken to keep the identified person in quarantine immediately.
Researchers at Stanford University are already conducting a study on its effectiveness. The study, conducted in collaboration with the Taiwanese government, is testing the virus in passengers in Pacific countries. The scientists involved in the study said: "Our main goal is to determine how quickly a passenger can be released after being declared infection-free after the test." This research is very important for them.
Some airlines have already canceled many services to reduce person-to-person contact.
However, the biggest challenge is to ensure the accuracy of the corona test. Let's assume; Even if you are traveling by plane and the passenger next to you does not get a negative clearance, in fact he is positive. As a result, you may become infected. Several studies have already shown that the number of people actually infected with the virus is not small. Even the test results of one in three people are making such a mistake; Which is called 'False Negative'.
"The process of collecting samples from the inside of the nose through a swab is often not deep enough," said Maureen Ferran, a professor of biology at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. So not enough samples are available. The more samples available, the less likely it is that the virus will be present. As a result, someone may be mistakenly identified as free of infection.
"If someone is tested in the early stages of the infection or much later, the results can be negative," he said. Because the presence of the virus in the blood cells at these two levels is not very much.
So the discovery of a permanent antidote to corona is vital for the aviation industry. As a result, the risk of infection will be reduced, as well as the travel bans imposed by various countries may be relaxed.
However, it is not easy to find a permanent vaccine. Despite long-term research, no effective vaccine against HIV or malaria has yet been discovered. Besides, it will take a long time for the vaccine to spread worldwide after its discovery.
In this situation, there are some changes in the passenger service, some transport companies like Qatar Airlines.
Covid-19 In the past, for the convenience of passengers to travel comfortably, soundproofing headphones, pajamas, including food made of international quality pancakes are served; Qatar Airlines has now shut them down. Passengers are not getting magazines to sit on the plane as before. However, such initiatives are being taken not to save costs, but to reduce the 'touchpoints' that create the risk of infection. Singapore Airlines, another Asian airline, has also recently stopped serving food to passengers in trolleys. Instead passengers get snack bags; Where necessary drinks and other food are available.