(airplane engine whirring)
- [Narrator] Flying means going to the airport,
dropping off your luggage at check in,
maybe buying a coffee in the terminal,
and finally taking a seat on a crowded plane.
That journey now looks to some travelers
like a potential minefield for catching the coronavirus.
And that's one big reason so many people
have stopped traveling.
- It's no secret that the travel industry
has seen an incredible drop in demand.
- I think it's important for them to put measures into place
that can help travelers feel a little more comfortable.
- [Narrator] The crowded spaces, shared surfaces,
and necessary human interaction in airports and on airplanes
all have the potential to spread the virus
between travelers and ultimately between countries.
- The airport experience, like many of our experiences today
are going to be transformed
by these new technological capabilities.
- [Narrator] So what is the industry doing
to make us feel safe again?
And how could that change the way we fly?
Let's start at check in.
- The use of face masks by everyone
is going to be the most important measure we can take
to minimize the risk of transmission while traveling.
- [Narrator] In India, passengers have to show
they have a contract tracing app installed on their phones
in order to enter the terminal.
And at Delhi International Airport, luggage has to go
through a UV sanitizing tunnel as well.
Inside the airport,
on top of disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer,
some companies have started making prototypes
for self-service kiosks that are touch free.
This one from Millennium Automation,
allows travelers to make selections by moving their head.
- The evolution in that direction actually started
significantly before the pandemic.
The pandemic has added urgency.
To the greatest extent possible, if a touch is required,
it's on your device, on your phone.
- [Narrator] For those with luggage to check,
kiosks that allow flyers to tag and handover bags themselves
could become the norm.
But for now, many still require you to pass luggage
off to an agent, which means standing in line.
But now with all the basic social distancing accessories.
- There are social distancing markers
in all of the queue areas.
There will be plexiglass shields
at every station where an agent is available
to assist a customer.
- [Narrator] Next, comes security.
This is where some airports are trying to
not only prevent Covid-19 transmission,
but identify passengers that may be carrying the virus.
London's Heathrow Airport is running trials
of temperature scans to look for travelers with a fever.
That said, a fever is only a symptom,
not a confirmation someone has or doesn't have the virus.
And Lufthansa plans to offer coronavirus tests
to flyers in Germany.
The airline says travelers will get results
in about four hours.
- Nine eleven birthed the TSA.
We anticipate there is going to be something to ensure
the customers safe transit through air travel.
- [Narrator] In the US, the TSA was already using
facial recognition, rather than manual ID checks
to screen some travelers.
But with a desire for more touchless tech,
you might be seeing more biometric entry in the future.
- To some extent, facial technology may come into it,
for those who are comfortable with it.
- [Narrator] The TSA says biometric checks are quicker,
but packed security lines still pose a transmission risk.
One possible solution, security appointments.
Montreal's International airport
has allowed travelers to book a time slot online for years.
And a similar system could help other airports
avoid crowding.
Once through security, travelers face the potential
of crowded restaurants and shops.
At the Port Authority's airports,
flyers can use their phones to order food and retail items
directly to their gate,
rather than risk lines and further interaction.
It's important for airport's revenues to get this right.
One industry group estimates that airports bring in
about seven dollars per passenger from non-aviation revenue.
Now that may not sound like much ,
but last year, 140 million passengers
passed through the Port Authority's airports.
And some brands, like Estee Lauder,
have higher sales at major airports than they do
in North American department stores.
But just waiting at the gate may not be
travelers best option either
as crowds tend to form ahead of boarding.
- If it were me, I would probably hang out
somewhere else in the airport, at a different gate,
and wait until they're boarding.
- [Narrator] Delta is hoping to avoid the rush
by boarding planes 10 flyers at a time.
And they still have to be wearing those masks.
- [Bill] If customers do not have a mask, we will have masks
and we will have sanitizer available for them
throughout the journey.
- [Narrator] The plane itself presents one of the biggest
challenges in avoiding the spread of the virus.
For airlines, mitigation efforts start
before travelers board.
- [Bill] We do electrostatic spraying
prior to every departure.
The spray will kill viruses on contact.
- [Narrator] When boarding, Delta, like some others,
is starting with passengers in the back of the plane
to limit traffic jams in the aisle.
And Singaporean Airline Scoot is restricting the amount
of hand luggage you can bring on board
to avoid a scrum at the overhead bins.
Once seated, travelers will likely have some extra space.
Delta has, for now, banned the middle seat
and is limiting the amount of passengers on board.
- No airline will be dispatched
above a 60% seating capacity.
So if there are 100 seats on board,
no more then 60 customers on board the aircraft.
- [Narrator] Still that seating cap isn't in place
for all airlines.
And some travelers have reported crowded flights.
And when the middle seat does return,
it may be surrounded by dividers
or facing the other way.
The confined space makes onboard ventilation
even more important to people.
Good airflow is key to diluting the amount of virus
potentially floating around.
- [Bill] We use filters called Hepa filters,
the same filters they use
in hospital ICUs and emergency rooms.
Every two to five minutes, depending upon the aircraft type,
the air on board the airplane is exchanged with outside air.
- [Narrator] Some airlines are also eliminating
meal services, in flight magazines, and duty free cards.
While others, including Delta, are opting for
pre-wrapped snack packages, all to minimize contact.
For now, airports and airlines are able to implement some
of those strategies because not that many people are flying.
Which is also due to travel restrictions
and reduced flights.
But the real question is whether airports and airlines
will invest in these measures and whether they can afford
to operate with them in the long run.
- We are not gonna give up on our level of safety.
And if means that we have got to completely re-engineer
our processes, in order to allow more to come,
and allow profitability to return, we are going to do it.
- [Narrator] Until there's a world-wide standard,
a lot of these crucial decisions will ultimately
come down to the individual airlines and airports.
- These measures have to be effective
because if there is some outbreak on an airplane,
then that's gonna, nobody's gonna want to travel anymore.