Air Travel and Communicable Diseases: Federal Leadership Needed to Advance Research

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified ongoing concerns about air travel’s role in spreading disease and raised questions about the safety of passengers and crew. Research that could provide quality information on communicable diseases in air travel can help to protect public health. The CARES Act includes a provision for the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to monitor and report on federal efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. GAO was also asked to review research on disease transmission in air travel. This report examines: (1) the status of research on communicable diseases in air travel, including stakeholders’ views on additional needed research and challenges to conducting it, and (2) the extent to which the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other federal agencies are advancing such research. To conduct this work, GAO interviewed stakeholders, including federal officials, researchers, and aviation industry and union representatives. GAO also reviewed academic literature and agency documents, including research plans, as well as key considerations for interagency collaboration. GAO recommends that Congress should consider directing FAA to develop and implement a strategy to identify and advance needed research on communicable diseases in air travel, in coordination with appropriate federal agencies— such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—and external partners.

• Record URL:
  • https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-22-104579.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://www.gao.gov/assets/730/721977.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-22-104579-highlights.pdf
• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. Government Accountability Office

  441 G Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20548
• Publication Date: 2022-7-28

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 46p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air travel; Communicable diseases; COVID-19; Federal government agencies; Research
• Identifier Terms: U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01853519
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: GAO-22-104579
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 29 2022 4:56PM