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Commercial flying during pandemic.


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Posted

I wonder, (OK, I'll be honest, hope), now is the time when a major re-evaluation of air travel may be possible. 

  • Like 1
Posted
9 minutes ago, Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Secretary said:

major re-evaluation of air travel may be possible. 

 

Its not possible. Its happened.

 

The industry will never be the same again. For starters you have the despicable cash rich companies in the news who are using this as an opportunity to screw their employees T's and C's and hide behind the pandemic.

 

Numerous airlines have already gone to the wall and before this is over I'd bet a decent wager on 2 or 3 very well known others will go bust.

 

Prices will go up due to a. Companies having to repay debts and b. Lack of competition. So that will lead to a contraction in the market.

 

I've worked in the industry since leaving school and ill consider myself incredibly lucky if I have a job beyond the end of the government furlough scheme.

Posted

'Requirement for masks is a possibility'...........

.....is actually mandatory on Wizz Air from today and Luthansa flights from 04 may.

 

Airports make plenty money selling booze pre flight but boozers currently closed. Will flyers be breathalysed? Many now smuggle vodka on board in 100ml bottles.

 

Pre flight temperature checks will take place and possible questionnaire but asymptomatic could still board.

 

Cases in August 2016 and again Aug 2019 at Glasgow Airport of pilots over their allowed alcohol limit being stopped from flying so not just the passengers to worry about.

 

Filtration to about to 3 micron level, but covid is 0.1 micron diameter.

 

 

Posted
5 minutes ago, DonPeffers said:

'Requirement for masks is a possibility'...........

.....is actually mandatory on Wizz Air from today and Luthansa flights from 04 may.

 

Airports make plenty money selling booze pre flight but boozers currently closed. Will flyers be breathalysed? Many now smuggle vodka on board in 100ml bottles.

 

Pre flight temperature checks will take place and possible questionnaire but asymptomatic could still board.

 

Cases in August 2016 and again Aug 2019 at Glasgow Airport of pilots over their allowed alcohol limit being stopped from flying so not just the passengers to worry about.

 

Filtration to about to 3 micron level, but covid is 0.1 micron diameter.

 

 

 

I'm struggling to see the alcohol relevance but the filtration is kind of irrelevant as virus allegedly only travels airborne around 6 feet. 

Posted

If passengers become intoxicated will they adhere to any guidelines?

 

You mentioned filtration in your first post Steve and a sneeze will travel further than 2 metres.

Posted

True but after doing a bit more reading realised it was a bit irrelevant. Isn't the mask supposed to catch the sneeze though?

 

 

Posted
1 hour ago, Nemesis said:

I know a bit about HEPA Filters, I've been responsible for various systems in the nuclear world, the best filters only get down to  ~3 microns, and they only get up to the 99.995 % efficiency for nuclear contaminants due to the electrical charge of the particles, so unless the aircraft have active electrostatic HEPA filtering (like Submarines) I'm not going on one for a while.

 

Nem..... 

Air passing through a UVC source should be sterile, but it might contain dangerous levels of ozone I suppose.

Posted

How much are private jets?

Posted

Millions have flown out of China and all over the world since the outbreak, and we have flown hundreds of thousands home from all over the world. I don't see a rising body of evidence that aircraft are hotspots for spreading the virus, historically or now, if they were I think we would know about it, and surely aircrew would have obvious elevated sickness/virus rates? time will tell. 

 

Many positive cases were traced to individuals on flights into Delhi, and contact tracing showed that they infected the people they met in Delhi, but not their fellow passengers.  Similar when internal flights in India were identified as having a positive tested passenger, alerts went out but no new cases arose.  

 

The airlines would put this down to the fact that air on aircraft is replaced every two or three minutes by air that has been through HEPA filters, and might suggest you are at more risk in an office or a bus.    I could envisage the highest risk on an aircraft being cabin crew, one affected member passing you your meals and drinks. 

 

Anyway, it is anecdotal now but the science/statistics might support us being less concerned than we are, I don't currently see any long term (post pandemic) case for empty seats, backward seats. The airlines won't do it unless the science supports it, as it will cost them a lot. 

 

In either case, if I knew anyone making masks that were '10 hours' comfortable, I would be investing, I think they will be in high demand. maybe HEPA filters for the house and car then next big thing?  

 

 

Posted

Nurses and doctors wear masks all day. I'm guessing it's one of those things that we will have to get used to, like a new pair of boots. They're a bu99er to break in but once done they're as comfortable as slippers.

 

What struck me more today was the wearing of masks reduces our capacity to read the face of anyone we are talking to. I was sharing a conversation with the guys at my local shop and I realised I couldn't tell if he was smiling, grimacing, neutral or whatever. My ability to "read the room" was much more diminished than I had considered before. We may have to get better at communicating with words, carefully and accurately chosen... :o 

Posted

Blatters, is this you?

 

article-1234847-0142B92D00001005-419_224😏

  • Haha 2
Posted
4 hours ago, Man On The Clapham Omnibus said:

Blatters, is this you?

 

article-1234847-0142B92D00001005-419_224😏

 

I'm taking the 5th...

  • Haha 1
Posted

To cross a phrase used by a well known politician with one from the Father Ted series.....

 

.......should we all become letterboxes now?

Posted
On 01/05/2020 at 19:15, Man On The Clapham Omnibus said:

Blatters, is this you?

 

article-1234847-0142B92D00001005-419_224😏

 

 

 

Blatman facemask ps.jpg

Posted

Nice helmet! :d

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