Improving Air Travel Comfort & Experience: Designing for Infection Prevention and Control in Response to COVID-19

• Published in: Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting 2022-09, Vol.66 (1), p.2280-2284
• Main Authors: Daigle, Kayla, Trudel, Chantal, Kelsey, Shelley
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2169-5067; 1071-1813; 2169-5067
• DOI: 10.1177/1071181322661551

In lieu of the recent impacts of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the health and safety of individuals around the world, domestic and international travel organizations, and more specifically, the aviation industry, rapidly implemented preventative measures to support infection prevention and control (IPAC). Such measures have drastically and understandably changed how passenger interactions and experiences take place through various points in their air travel journey. Research that examines the user experience of passengers in response to changes that emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic is needed. This study focused on developing a better understanding of passenger experience during the COVID-19 pandemic and how the design of the environment may be influencing this experience. Design recommendations to respond quickly to future pandemic conditions or other infectious outbreak scenarios is an expected outcome of this study.