Flying in the COVID-19 Era: Science-based Risk Assessments and Mitigation Strategies on the Ground and in the Air

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop on February 4th and 5th, 2021 to review the issues related to safety of passengers and employees in commercial air transportation, for domestic and international travel, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The workshop explored best practices to assess and mitigate COVID-19 transmission risks experienced during the travel chain, from the departure airport entrance to the destination airport exit. The workshop also identified areas where more research is needed to address gaps in understanding. This publication documents the presentations and discussions held during the workshop, and is presented as a synthesis of the workshop.

Table of Contents


Front Matter
1 Introduction
2 The COVID-19 Pandemic
3 COVID-19 Risks and Mitigation on Commercial Aircraft
4 COVID-19 Risk and Mitigation in Airports
5 The Aviation Industry's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
6 Ensuring the Future of the Airline Industry
Appendixes
Appendix A: Statement of Task
Appendix B: Workshop Agenda
Appendix C: Acronyms
Appendix D: Planning Committee and Staff Bios