Airline Executives Say Travelers Want Plastic Barriers on Planes

Airline industry executives revealed Thursday that passengers would be more comfortable flying during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak if carriers installed visible plastic barriers in the cabin.

According to Reuters, the plastic barriers are just one in a series of pandemic-related trends inspired by the need to instill confidence in flying again and revealed during a panel at the virtual MRO Asia-Pacific conference.

Other ideas designed to strengthen industry assurances include more private business class seating on narrow-body planes, adding touchless lavatory features and permanent conversions of passenger aircraft to freighters.

Airplane manufacturers have already started the process of studying, developing and testing disposable plastic barriers for its regional jets, but issues such as weight, flammability and impact on a potential evacuation have made it difficult.

“Modern aircraft are already equipped with excellent technology to filter the air,” Embraer business development manager Lais Port Antunes told Reuters. “The passengers should feel safe in an aircraft cabin, but they need to see actions.”

Other companies in the aviation industry have voiced support for shields between the seats to make passengers feel safer and seen a jump in interest regarding lie-flat seating and similar pod-type solutions.

On Thursday, United Airlines became the first carrier in the U.S. to offer a coronavirus testing program to passengers. Travelers flying to Hawaii from San Francisco International Airport will have the option to take rapid-response COVID-19 tests to avoid quarantine requirements beginning on October 15.