Facts & Figures

Fact Sheet: Pandemic Preparedness

  • IATA routinely works with governments on passenger and crew health issues in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Airport Council International (ACI) to
    • Develop guidelines
    • Hold seminars
    • Conduct exercises that enhance the readiness of industry and public health officials to deal with a global pandemic
  • IATA also contributes to ICAO’s Cooperative Agreement to Prevent the Spreading of Communicable Disease through Air Travel (CAPSCA)
  • The SARS outbreak in 2003, combined with years of planning for the possibility of avian influenza have further prepared the industry to deal efficiently with public health emergencies

Preparedness measures

  • IATA promotes proactive guidelines for airlines regarding suspected communicable diseases
  • IATA prepared and maintains guidance materials (accepted by WHO) for front line staff at airlines, including
    • Cabin crew
    • Maintenance workers
    • Cleaners
    • Passenger agents 
    • And cargo/baggage handlers
  • IATA worked with WHO and ICAO on two important documents for managing A(H1N1) and other public health emergencies:
  • It also maintains an emergency response plan for public health emergencies
  • This plan was effectively activated amid the recent A(H1N1) event
  • IATA also collects and publishes emerging government health-related requirements to industry, governments and the travelling public through the IATA Travel Centre at www.iatatravelcentre.com.

Facts and Figures

  • Airlines have equipment and measures in place to keep the cabin environment safe 
  • Modern aircraft have HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters that have similar performance to those used to keep the air clean in hospitals, operating rooms and industrial clean rooms
    • HEPA filters are effective at capturing greater than 99% of the airborne microbes in the filtered air
    • The cabin air system delivers approximately 50% outside air and 50% filtered, recirculated air
  • Provides between 15 to 20 cubic feet of total air supply per minute per person in economy class
  • Total air supply is essentially sterile and particle-free
  • Aircraft are regularly disinfected as part of normal cleaning routines
  • Crew are trained in handling procedures for passengers who might become ill on board 
  • WHO is at level six in their pandemic plans for A(H1N1), no travel restrictions have been advised

Updated November 2009