Bad math: Airlines’ Covid-19 safety analysis challenged by expert
A campaign by coronavirus-stricken aviation giants to persuade the world it’s safe to fly has been questioned by one of the scientists whose research it draws upon.
Dr David Freedman, a US infectious diseases specialist, said he declined to take part in a recent presentation by global airline body IATA with planemakers Airbus, Boeing and Embraer that cited his work.
While he welcomed some industry findings as “encouraging”, Freedman said a key assertion about the improbability of catching Covid-19 on planes was based on “bad math”.
Airlines and planemakers are anxious to restart international travel, even as the second wave of infections and restrictions take hold in many countries.
