Cabin view of a Delta flight between Minneapolis and Baltimore on April 25, 2020.
Sébastien Duval | AFP | Getty images
Keeping the middle seats open on planes could cut passenger exposure to the virus that causes Covid-19 by more than half, according to a new study published Wednesday.
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kansas State University found in laboratory modeling that passenger exposure to SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19, can be reduced by 23% on wide-body and narrow-body aircraft and 57% if airlines leave the middle seats open – even if they don’t wear masks.
The study comes after airlines spent much of the past year recommending tightened cleaning procedures and onboard filtration to calm travelers concerned about flying during the pandemic. Demand for travel has since risen somewhat as more of the public is vaccinated against Covid-19.
US airlines, including JetBlue Airways and Southwest Airlines, previously limited the capacity on board their planes in the pandemic, but have since phased out policies, pushing for hospital-grade filtration and other safety measures to limit the risk of exposure. Delta Air Lines plans to stop blocking center seats next month, the last US carrier to implement the change. However, over Easter weekend, it halted its capacity limitations amid a staff shortage that contributed to dozens of flight cancellations.
The researchers’ study did not investigate wearing masks while in flight, which became an airline and federal government policy during the pandemic.
However, they cited a case study in New Zealand stating that “a virus aerosol is emitted by a contagious masked passenger, so distance may still be useful”.
They used a surrogate virus to replace SARS-CoV-2 in the air.