Written by Kushaan Agarwal, a grade 9 student

The Novel Coronavirus, who hasn’t heard of it? This deadly virus has resulted in most countries to impose a lock-down, meaning no flying. That, in turn, means that the aviation industry would remain shut.

So, it is obvious that once the lock-downs open, people won’t be flying the same way. Thus, I have tried to compile a list for you to gaze at and deduce what changes are most likely to occur.

1. Staggered seats

Now, what do you mean by this? This basically means that some airlines would FLIP the centre sear, that is while the window and aisle seat will face forward, the middle seat will face backwards. Moreover, there will be a plastic shield next to the seat to minimise contact.

2. Protective gear for the crew

Many airlines like their crew to dress in vibrant and traditional dresses. Well, not anymore. From now onward, the crew would be thoroughly dressed in protective gear to ensure that no harm comes to them. This includes a mask and a whole gown.

3. Reduced or no in-flight meals

For those of you who enjoyed inflight meals, well you’re going to have wait for a bit longer. To reduce the risk of transmitting this disease, many airlines have stated that they won’t serve meals, or will just give a small box of food with mostly packaged food or a sandwich or something. In India, there will be no inflight meals at all until further notice.

4. Middle seat empty

Instead of flipping the middle seat, some airlines would just leave the middle seat empty. While this will definitely result in a lower load, at least they won’t have to flip the entire seat.

5. No queues at the airport

Now, this was probably the most predictable. There will be minimal queues and there will be spots marked on the floor, all far from each other. The seats in the waiting area will also be shifted far apart from each other.

6. Fewer bathroom visits

From now, airlines would try to minimize the bathroom visits of passengers, and pay extra attention to its sanitation, since it is arguably the dirtiest place on the plane. Passengers need to make sure they wash their hands thoroughly after visiting it.

Let’s hope for the best, and hope that this disease vanishes soon!

Written by Kushaan Agarwal
Kushaan is an aviation enthusiast. He loves to play basketball and tennis among other sports.