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SINGAPORE – All aircraft flying in and out of Singapore must now establish an emergency quarantine area blocking a section of onboard seating, as part of measures to minimize the risk of passenger exposure to Covid-19.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) told The Straits Times that passengers or crew who feel unwell with a fever or any symptoms of Covid-19 during a flight should be transferred to the quarantine area and isolated from other passengers. .
The bathroom closest to the quarantine area should also be reserved for those who are not well.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has established such zones in the last three rows of seats on the left side of its aircraft. Any member of the SIA crew caring for the sick person on board must also wear full personal protective equipment.
Similarly, budget airline Jetstar Asia has configured the zones in the last three rows of seats on the left or right side of the plane.
The isolation zone requirement was published this month when Jetstar Asia said it has established isolation zones on its aircraft, among other measures, to protect against the spread of Covid-19.
Alan Foo, acting senior director of the safety regulation group at CAAS, said the authority had ordered the quarantine area on board the planes in May.
“To minimize the risk of exposure to Covid-19 during your travels, safe travel measures have been implemented for all flights operating in and out of Singapore,” he added.
“These measures have been developed by the CAAS in close consultation with the Singapore Ministry of Health.”
These measures also include requiring passengers to wear masks during flights and for those traveling to Singapore to undergo a basic health assessment before boarding the plane.
On-board meal services have been modified to reduce contact between crew and passengers.
On whether CAAS would make emergency quarantine zones a permanent measure, Foo said the authority will review the measures when necessary given the evolving nature of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Infectious disease expert Leong Hoe Nam said CAAS ‘decision to require quarantine zones is sensible and will effectively limit the exposure of a sick passenger to others.
He said reserving an onboard toilet for use by a sick passenger will also eliminate another potential mode of transmission of the virus.
“While high-efficiency particulate air filters in aircraft work to cool the air inside the cabin, there is still a risk of transmission to passengers seated in three rows in front of or behind an infected passenger,” added the Dr. Leong.
“If you stay out of the zone, you eliminate the risk.”
The mandatory quarantine zone goes a step beyond international guidelines on isolating a sick person during flight.
According to the International Air Transport Association (Iata), in the event that a passenger or crew member feels unwell on board, an airline should try to relocate adjacent passengers so that there is a 2m gap between them and the sick person.
If there are no available seats, Iata recommends that the airline provide personal protective equipment to adjacent passengers. He also recommends several other precautions, such as storing the sick person’s dirty items in a biohazard bag.
Independent aviation analyst Brendan Sobie of Sobie Aviation said countries should work together to standardize safety requirements to help the aviation sector recover. For example, the lack of uniform regulations within Asean is hampering efforts to restart travel within the region, he said.
“The problem is that each country has different requirements … It is disappointing that after so many months, we still do not have convergence for this requirement and many others,” added Mr. Sobie.
“It is important as the industry is trying to restart international travel, but when there are different regulations in each country, it makes it difficult for airlines.”
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