Back-to-front airplane boarding may increase Covid-19 exposure risk

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-04-28 09:01

International

What does this mean?

Jump to: MultimediaAttachmentsExpert Reaction

New modelling shows that passengers tend to cluster more in the aisle when being boarded from back to front, which increases their exposure risk to Covid-19. The research comes after some U.S. airlines changed their boarding policies in an attempt to reduce exposure risk (e.g., fewer economy class passengers passing by people already seated in business class). However, their simulations found that infection exposure roughly doubled when passengers were seated from the back first, compared to people randomly boarding the plane. The researchers say exposure could be significantly lowered if airlines prohibited the use of overhead bins to stow luggage, and board the window seat before the aisle seat.