Adapting the reverse pyramid airplane boarding method for social distancing in times of COVID-19

Social distancing resulting from the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) has disrupted the airplane boarding process. Social distancing norms reduce airplane capacity by keeping the middle seats unoccupied, while an imposed aisle social distance between boarding passengers slows the boarding. Recent literature suggests the Reverse Pyramid boarding method is a promising way to reduce health risk and keep boarding times low when 10 apron buses (essentially 10 boarding groups) are used to transport passengers from the airport terminal to a two-door airplane. The authors adapt the Reverse Pyramid method for social distancing when an airplane is boarded using a jet bridge that connects the terminal the airplane’s front door. The authors vary the number of boarding groups from two to six and use stochastic simulation and agent-based modelling to show the resulting impact on four performance evaluation metrics. Increasing the number of boarding groups from two to six reduces boarding time only up to four groups but continues to reduce infection risk up to six groups. If the passengers carry fewer luggage aboard the airplane, health risks (as well as boarding times) decrease. One adaptation of the Reverse Pyramid (RP) method (RP-Spread) provides slightly faster boarding times than the other (RP-Steep), when luggage volumes are high, while RP-Steep results in less risk to window seat passengers from later-boarding passengers walking by their row. Increasing the minimum aisle social distance from 1 m to 2 m increases boarding times but results in lower health risks to passengers walking down the aisle and to the previously seated passengers they pass.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0242131
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2020 R. John Milne et al.
• Authors:
  • Milne, R John
  • Cotfas, Liviu-Adrian
  • Delcea, Camelia
  • Crăciun, Liliana
  • Molănescu, Anca-Gabriela
• Publication Date: 2020

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: e0242131
• Serial:
  • PLoS One
  • Volume: 15
  • Issue Number: 11
  • Publisher: Public Library of Science
  • EISSN: 1932-6203
  • Serial URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/
• Publication flags:

  Open Access (libre)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Airplanes; Boarding; Communicable diseases; COVID-19; Public health; Safety
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01759585
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 3 2020 5:23PM