Facts About Cabin Air

Both the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention report that airline travel remains safe for passengers and crew.
The air onboard a commercial aircraft is cleaner than that in most public buildings. Fresh air enters and exits the cabin on a continuous basis. The air inside an airplane is completely exchanged with outside air 10 to 15 times per hour. The air in the average office building is exchanged only once or twice per hour.
Numerous scientific studies prove that aircraft ventilation systems protect against the spread of disease. There is no evidence that cabin air quality poses health risks to passengers or crew. There have been no documented cases of any passenger contracting H1N1 from an airline flight.
Most commercial aircraft use hospital-grade HEPA air filters to remove viruses and bacteria from the cabin. These are similar to the filters used by hospitals to clean the air in organ-transplant and burn-unit wards.
The cabin ventilation system is designed so that air supplied at one seat row leaves at approximately the same seat row, minimizing front-to-back air movement. This minimizes the possibility of airborne contaminants moving through the plane.
Travelers can protect themselves and others by following simple steps aimed at preventing the spread of infection. The Center for Disease Control recommends washing your hands often and covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
See also Boeing: How the Environmental Control System Works on Boeing Airplanes

Last Modified: 8/28/2009

quick links

Airline Handbook and Glossary
A brief history of aviation and an overview of important aviation topics.

help desk

Print-Friendly Page