by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:09 AM ET, Wed July 21, 2021
A new study found that most airline passengers are confident about the safety of air travel and support mask-wearing in the near term.
According to data from the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) latest passenger survey, 85 percent of respondents believe aircraft are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, while another 65 percent agree the air on a plane is as clean as an operating room.
The IATA findings found that 89 percent of airline passengers surveyed believe protective measures are well implemented and 90 percent believe airline personnel do a good job of enforcing the protocols.
Passengers also strongly support mask-wearing onboard (83 percent) and strict enforcement of mask rules (86 percent), but a majority also believe the mask requirement should be ended as soon as possible.
"Air travelers recognize and value the safety measures put in place to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission during air travel. And they support the continuation of these measures as long as necessary, but they also don't want the measures to become permanent," IATA Director General Willie Walsh said.
"In the meantime, we all need to respect the rules and the safety of fellow passengers. It is unacceptable that unruly passenger incidents have doubled compared to 2019, and the increase in physically abusive behavior is a particular cause for great concern," Walsh continued.
The report also found frustration among travelers regarding COVID-19 protocols, destination-specific rules, testing requirements and high test costs, including 70 percent saying the rules and accompanying paperwork was challenging to understand.
Another 89 percent agreed governments must standardize vaccinations and testing certifications and 87 percent support a secure digital system to manage health credentials.
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