The surge for safety, health, and clean living standards has been continuous since the world entered the Coronavirus pandemic. Many service industries have suffered in many parts of the word, while others are finding a middle ground in making the new normal work. Airlines are one of the industries that are gradually finding ways to cope with the global pandemic, with the increasing cancelation of flights and suspension of airline operations that many travelers are left to deal with.
The airline cabin crews form a section of the huge cluster of front-line workers that continue to serve the public during such a global crisis. Maintaining cleanliness and sanitation onboard, while ensuring the health and safety of their passengers, as well as their own are prioritized, and has been more intensive with a seismic shift on the way how airlines will operate in the next few months, according to Bloomberg. Since the beginning of the year and with COVID-19 lowering seat capacity in planes to more than 70%, the travel boom has been put on hold.
With due adjustments, it’s no surprise that many airlines all over the world will end up bankrupt, Business Insider reports. However, despite air travel being one of the biggest industries drastically taken by the pandemic, the few that continue operations with utmost discretion like AirAsia, have heightened their safety procedures when onboarding passengers, which entail flight attendants and pilots geared up in proper protective equipment, from face shields, face masks to gloves, and a full-length suit, according to Channel News Asia.
In light of the changes that the airline and travel industry has been adjusting to since the pandemic, it’s a must to stay informed about the airlines that have always been a fair proponent of cabin cleanliness. Take a look at the 20 cleanest and most organized airlines below that are consistent in making sure that passengers are riding clean aircrafts with a more in-depth approach to safety and sanitation.
The Skytrax World Airport Survey
When it comes to reliable data on cabin comfort, service, cleanliness, and convenience, Skytrax is one source that boasts transparency in information. The Skytrax World Airport Survey is the world’s most renowned survey on global airport quality. Surveys are led and conducted by the aviation research organization since 1999. Skytrax has surveyed more than a hundred different nationalities of airline customers for the 2017 Awards, with extensive criteria and methodology that goes through a comprehensive study of over 500 airport products and service items some of which include process efficiency, terminal comfort, cleanliness, passenger facilities, and staff service. The awards for the World’s Best Airline Cabin Cleanliness survey are given to airlines based on passengers’ assessment on the cleanliness standards of seat areas, tables, carpets, cabin panels and aircraft washrooms.
World’s Best Airline Cabin Cleanliness 2019
- EVA Air
- Japan Airlines
- ANA All Nippon Airways
- Singapore Airlines
- Asiana Airlines
- Hainan Airlines
- Swiss International Air Lines
- Cathay Pacific Airways
- Qatar Airways
- Lufthansa
- China Airlines
- Austrian Airlines
- Korean Air
- Air New Zealand
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
- Qantas Airways
- Cathay Dragon
- Bangkok Airways
- Thai Airways
- Finnair
What should you look out for on your next flight?
The “new normal” everyone seems to be living doesn’t just apply to those on land, but to those up in the sky as well. Easy access to and from airport terminals, terminal ambiance and comfort, immigration systems and staff service, proper security queuing and screening may be the crucial factors aircraft passengers consistently look out for. However, in the post-COVID-19 world, cabin cleanliness and sanitation will be moving up to the top of the list of priorities passengers have when flying.
Flight attendants should not be the only ones who know where to clean up the most and which areas in the cabin are the dirtiest. Passengers should make an effort to educate themselves on viable methods to take when keeping clean onboard, as well as knowing where the most unhygienic parts of the plane we make contact with are located. According to a study reported by the Business Insider, dirty surfaces particularly headrests and washroom handles have the most hemolytic bacteria and a high aerobic count, while other extreme forms of dirt like mold, coliforms, and E.coli are present in seat pockets, tray tables, and seat belts.
The required measures of wearing face masks, staying covered, properly sanitizing when flying will only be heightened from here on. With intensive practices of keeping air crafts clean by cabin crew and health inspectors, the need for passengers to be informed and educated on the methods they implement when flying is more crucial than ever before. Whether it’s bringing spare clothes and your own set of disposable gloves on board, or it’s taking a proper bath before and after a flight, travelers will have to fully cooperate and make their way to new and old places alike with these seemingly minor changes in mind, as a way to be rid of COVID-19 in a slow yet sure manner.
Cleanliness measures to expect from Airports and Airlines post COVID-19
Airports
■ Expect free sanitation stations around terminals at all major airports.
■ Each passenger can bring one bottle of liquid hand sanitizer up to 12 ounces (355ml) in their carry-on bags, as announced by TSA.
■ Social distancing and crowd control will be practised.
■ Increased cleaning of terminals and often-touched surfaces like handrails, seats, tables, lift buttons.
Airlines
■ Intensive cleaning of the aircraft’s interior will occur every four to six weeks.
■ Disinfecting hard surfaces (such as the seats, tables, washroom, overhead compartments, windows) within the cabin after each flight.
■ Increasing air circulation in the cabin and cleaning their High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters regularly.
■ Equipping flight crew with masks, gloves and hand sanitizer for each flight.
■ Passengers are encouraged to bring their own snacks onboard due to the reduced food and beverage services on most airlines. However, they must meet TSA guidelines.
Facing the future of air travel
Changing times forces all of us to adapt and with a global pandemic brought by COVID-19 pushing us all to do so. It means ensuring that we are on the road to doing it right. Traveling is going to look a lot more different with heightened precautions, stricter rules, and a modified way of accommodating passenger needs. The future of air travel may look a bit daunting, but, with more and more airlines, aviation organizations, and health spectators, there’s definitely more room for improvement. However, a post-COVID-19 world, traveling is still a possibility but with a tweak in the processes and systems meeting our needs as passengers. Of course, taking personal responsibility when flying is a must, washing your hands, sanitizing your seats, wearing face masks, or wrapping your luggage may seem rather extensive, but indeed, it’s just the way to ensure we are meeting our own standards of cleanliness when flying, while cabin crews and air crafts do their part to reach the same goal.
More on how to travel safely during and after a global pandemic
Website: How not to get sick on a plane
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