Regional Gateway editor Chloë Greenbank summarises the latest happenings across airports serving business, regional and low-fare routes.
As of this morning (Thursday 6 February GMT) the new coronavirus which originated in Wuhan, China, in December has infected more than 28,000 people worldwide and killed more than 550 people. To further fight the spread of the recent outbreak the World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched a US$675m preparedness and response plan.
But, is the global reaction to the outbreak as damaging as the virus itself?
Face masks are flying off the shelves in countries around the world. Wuhan and other cities across China are increasingly going under lockdown. Countries have closed their borders with China and airlines are suspending services to and from the region. Cathay Pacific has asked employees to take three weeks unpaid leave due to bleak business prospects as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Airports, which are known as high-risk hotspots for disease transmission, are screening all passengers arriving from China and the surrounding region, while some aren’t even accepting flights from China. And companies around the world have warned that the outbreak will disrupt supply chains and hurt bottom lines as factories and shops shut and air transport is disrupted.
However experts warn that fever detectors at airports might fail to detect early-stage coronavirus when patients are asymptomatic but the virus can still be transmitted. What’s more, for the average person, wearing a mask is not as effective as everyday measures like hand-washing and avoiding close contact with anyone who might be infected. WHO recommends that people frequently wash hands, cover their mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, and avoid close contact with those who are sick.
As the global response to the outbreak continues Airports Council International (ACI) World has described the recent coronavirus outbreak as being of “considerable concern to the aviation industry.” It has issued an advisory bulletin for airports underlining that: “The responsibility for the management of the risk rests primarily with the local/ regional/ national public health authority and the relevant airport operator.” It also underlines that to ensure public confidence airport operators are also advised to explain to passengers, as fully as possible, the reasons for any necessary health-related measures and ensure effective communication across the board.
While the affect on public health is significant, epidemics such as the current coronavirus outbreak have huge socioeconomic effects too. As we are already seeing they can lead to a reduction in the willingness to travel, flights being cancelled and country borders being closed. We are right to be cautious but we also need to maintain some perspective, keep calm and ensure that the information being distributed is accurate, clear and doesn’t cause unnecessary panic.
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