The Covid-19 pandemic has shocked the thriving aviation industry and forced it into hibernation. But Thailand's aviation authority is using this rare hiatus to develop airport facilities in preparation for the post-Covid-19 world.
Earlier this week, Don Mueang's airport director revealed that the interior of the international hub will undergo a 126-million-baht revamp during this break. The work involves improvement to the air-conditioning system, re-carpeting and installation of an LED light system to save energy.
On Tuesday, the Transport Ministry said it would ask the cabinet for a 250-million-baht budget to improve and upgrade facilities at Hua Hin airport in Prachuab Khiri Khan province to attract international airlines once Covid-19 is contained.
The upgrades show optimism in the Thai aviation industry's hopes of a rebound, and I admire their fighting spirit. Yet, I wish the airport revamp in the post-Covid 19 period would go beyond infrastructure construction, fancy interior design, luxurious concourses, vertical gardens or pricey technology for immigration and security.
The cataclysmic effect of this pandemic will change the world, in ways we are yet to comprehend. In the post-Covid 19 era, public health sanitation will be the top priorities at airport facilities. So, any development projects, be they at Don Mueang or Suvarnabhumi airports, must factor in these salubrious concerns.
Now, you may be scratching your head at the term "public hygiene facilities". They are mainly cleaning systems, public toilets and above all wash basins. These facilities usually are viewed as basic amenities.
Indeed, airports -- especially those that receive travellers from various continents, can be Covid-19 super-spreaders, according to a recent study, "To Slow an Epidemic, Focus on Hand-Washing", conducted by fellowship researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US.
The team comprised Professor Christos Nicolaides, a fellow at the MIT Sloan School of Management; and Professor Ruben Juanes of MIT's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, among others.
Published in 2018 in an aviation industry magazine, the study looks at air transport networks as the main pathway for a the spread of disease globally, offering a simple, yet effective solution, such as installing hand washing basins and increasing the rate of hand washing to deter transmission.
The study found that 70% of people washed their hands after using toilets. And out of that number, only 6% or 7% of them did it correctly -- washing their hands with soap and water for at least 15 seconds. The study thus concluded that only one in five people have clean hands. That means the not-so-clean hands of the other four will touch check-in kiosks, handrails, seats, the buttons on water fountains and table tops. When people get on planes, they will touch seats, food trays, arm rests and the door knob to the toilet. Germs, such as bacteria and viruses, are catching a ride in airports worldwide.
The study suggests that if 60% of travellers had clean hands, the potential to slow a global disease rises to 69%. But even if just 30% of travellers had clean hands, the spread of disease could drop by 24%.
The study estimates that improving the rate of hand-washing by travellers passing through just 10 of the world's leading airports could reduce the spread of many infectious diseases by up to 37%. And by improving access to hand-washing facilities, that rate can easily be reduced by 24%.
This study had my complete and undivided attention, as I am a firm believer in hand washing -- a habit I developed after the Sars outbreak over a decade ago.
So everywhere I go, I always look for hand-washing basins. Often, my search is in vain. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been no public campaign to educate people on washing their hands correctly. Society and authorities have focused on promoting the use of face masks and alcohol-based hand sanitiser products, which often require people to spend money, leading to product hoarding and price speculation.
The government, including local administration offices, can thus make use of this research.
What's more, much can be done to bring public wash basins up to snuff. Often times, when you actually manage to find one, it is dirty, water stained and suffering from wobbly taps. Sometimes, bathroom soap dispensers look so filthy I'd rather risk leaving my hands dirty.
Hopefully, Covid-19 will be a game changer. This pandemic may have claimed lives, yet it can teach us a valuable lesson. Washing your hands can save lives. Nothing can be more simple or greater than that.