Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) level of risk of catching covid-19 posed to passengers on aeroplane flights and (b) effect of leaving all middle seats vacant on the level of that risk; what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on the additional steps that could be taken to reduce that risk; and if he will make a statement.

The Government expects all airlines to manage the risks of COVID-19 transmission as far as possible and published guidance to provide safer services for passengers. The Safer Transport guidance for operators, which was developed with industry, is clear that robust social distancing, regular cleaning, and good hand and respiratory hygiene are the best ways of protecting against the transmission of coronavirus.

Where social distancing is not possible, airlines are advised to carry out a risk assessment and implement appropriate risk controls. For example, wearing a face covering can play a role in helping us to protect other passengers, which is why it is now mandatory to wear one on board aircraft.

It is also worth noting that passengers are seated facing forwards in the same direction on board aircraft, which avoids the increased transmission risk of being seated face to face.

In addition, air conditioning systems on modern aircraft filter cabin air every few minutes through High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters. These filters are very effective at capturing airborne microbes in the filtered air and, when coupled with the drawn in fresh air, can help to mitigate the longer-range risk of transmission.

Officials continue to engage with the aviation sector to ensure they are supported in implementing best practices.