According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study released Wednesday, April 14, blocking middle seats reduces coronavirus risks by 23 to 57 percent.
Although the study, which focused on exposure, did not account for passengers' masking, the CDC still emphasizes the benefits of social distance on planes. Airlines are not likely to be convinced by the newly released report.
CDC Research on Middle Seats
According to the Washington Post, a case study shows that COVID-19 transmission has taken place in a flight with mandatory mask-wearing, with virus aerosols released from infectious passengers during distancing.
Most airlines returned to packing flights last year to make up for their staggering financial losses. The only major U.S. airline still conducting this practice is Delta, which will stop doing so on May 1.
Henry Harteveldt, an industry analyst and co-founder of Atmosphere Research Group, stated that this is a "huge bombshell from the CDC." He explained that airlines would acknowledge this as a positive development in the fight against air pollution.
Physical separation of aircraft passengers, including through the practice of middle seat vacancy policies, can reduce the risk of SARS-COV-2 exposure, Jade Fulce, a CDC public affairs specialist, said in an email.
Some airlines have been operating with a policy of empty seats, and this study supports the effectiveness of that intervention within the context of other implemented measures.
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Will Airlines Ban Middle Seats from Being Purchased
BusinessInsider reports that airlines disagree with the recently released report that states blocking middle seats will better avoid the spread of the novel coronavirus than what they are currently doing.
All major US airlines are engaged in masks-wearing and HEPA filters instead of banning middle seats. Others never adopted it and will not do so. Delta Air Lines is the last airline to ban middle seats, with its policy slated to end on May 1 this year.
However, the underlying motivation goes well beyond airlines' desire to make a profit by filling planes.
Several scientific studies conclude that the layers of protection reduce risks significantly.
The risk of transmission on aircraft is shallow, said Airlines for America, the organization representing major domestic airlines like Delta and American Airlines.
Airlines are already walking a tightrope to prevent an outbreak on board while at the same time trying to get flyers to come back.
If an outbreak occurs, the industry may return to where it was in March 2020, with mass cancellations and billions of dollars disappearing.
Masks onboard commercial airline flights have been required for almost a year now, and an outbreak would have been well noted and investigated.
In addition, the 2017 study does not take into account the steps taken by airline companies, one industry expert explains.
Henry Harteveldt, industry analyst and co-founder of Atmosphere Research Group, said of the CDC report, This is months-old data that does not consider significant alterations in real-world policies and practices have been implemented since the study was first conducted.
Researchers conducted the tests on mannequins without wearing face masks in a lab setting.
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Written by Lionell Moore
