On January 30, National Health Commission held a press conference on the supportive role of transport during the period of disease prevention and control. Officials in charge of the Department of Flight Standard of CAAC expressed in the conference that the current priority of civil aviation was to reduce disease transmission in the aircraft, and that CAAC was ready to take effective measures to minimize disease transmission in aircraft during the Spring Festival return travel rush.

Since the Spring Festival holiday is about to end on February 2, people will return on a large scale to their work places. It is estimated that passenger flow will surge by that time, and how to prevent the spread of disease in public places such as aircraft and airport will be a question to consider. For this problem of public concern, the official from the Department of Flight Standard pointed out that ventilation during flight operation has already been taken into consideration in aircraft design. The air in the cabin is filtered and changed every two to three minutes, i.e. 20 to 30 times per hour. The ventilation system of aircraft allows air to flow downward in a circular pattern, which can effectively lower the possibility of disease transmission in aircraft. During the period of disease prevention and control, CAAC requires airlines to maximize ventilation under the premise of ensuring safety, and increase the frequency of aircraft disinfection, optimize the service procedure to minimize the possibility of transmission. Moreover, aircraft are equipped with first-aid boxes such as precaution kit, and non-contact thermometers are added for detecting disease. Training for cabin crew is intensified to make sure that they could properly manage passengers with fever while protecting their own safety. In terms of airport, ventilation and disinfection are also stepped up, and passengers’ temperatures are taken according to the requirements of local governments.

The aforementioned official in charge also recommended that passengers should wear facial masks when taking public transport such as a plane, and that protecting oneself represents the most important responsible to society.