David Slotnick/Business Insider
A Qantas Boeing 787 interior.
- Fears of novel coronavirus are raising questions about the safety of air travel in the face of an epidemic.
- Air travel is one of the largest transporters of disease traditionally and is responsible for the appearance of the virus in the US and other countries.
- Flight-tracking software allows flyers to see if the aircraft operating their flights have been to China.
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The spread of novel coronavirus outside of China has a lot of travelers asking questions about the safety of air travel when it comes to the spread of diseases.
Aircraft frequently criss-cross the globe carrying a wide variety of passengers from different places to new places. That makes them ideal carriers for a fast-growing virus.
In response to the outbreak, airlines have canceled flights and countries have restricted access for those who have visited China recently, with some US airlines taking extra precautions on their flights. The US government has started getting involved, limiting which airports can even receive aircraft from China.
Not all aircraft are at risk though, as most flying within the US will never see Chinese skies.
Here's what you should know about air travel and the novel coronavirus.