Microban says more than half of travellers are worried about bacteria on airplanes as holiday season gets underway
More than half of people who took part in a new survey are worried about bacteria on airplanes, research says as the holiday season gets underway.
Fifty three per cent of travellers said that they were "concerned" or "very concerned" about the presence of bacteria on seat covers, cushions and head rests, in the research carried out for Microban Europe.
Additionally, 52% of respondents stated that they were similarly anxious about bacteria on built-in trays, arm rests and the backs of seats.
Their worries underline findings by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention that viruses and bacteria can survive for many hours on the surface of seats, armrests, tray tables, remote controls and inside backseat pockets.
Alison Southcombe, marketing director at Microban Europe, said: "Air travel puts you in a confined space close to many other people where you breathe recycled air for a long period of time and where your body´s natural defences are often compromised.
"While airlines and aircraft manufacturers clearly take subjects such as air filtration and cleanliness very seriously, there is considerable potential for nasty bacteria to spread, and our research shows that travellers are deeply aware of this danger.
Microban Europe is the European division of Microban International, the global leader in built-in antibacterial product protection. The survey also showed that 90% of people would be "reassured" or "very reassured" by the presence of antibacterial protection in aircraft interior fabrics and plastics.
Southcombe explained: "A very effective level of antibacterial protection could be build into aircraft interiors. On unprotected surfaces, bacteria can double in number every 20 minutes but our technology disrupts this process, typically killing all bacteria within a 24 hour period."
The research was carried out by Toluna Omnibus with a sample of 727 respondents.
About Microban Europe
Microban Europe has headquarters in Cannock, Staffordshire, United Kingdom, and also has operations in Germany, Italy and France. Microban International is headquartered in Huntersville, North Carolina, United States, and has Asian offices in Hong Kong and Shenzen, as well as a South American office in Brazil.
Note to editors
This press release is designed for use in European territories.