Six years after the deadly COVID-19 pandemic began, shocking new research has found coronavirus traces in the wastewater of nearly every international flight tested
The COVID-19 pandemic was already six years ago, yet many would remember the strict sanitary restrictions like it was yesterday. Among the most notable mandatory measures was the use of face masks.
Due to new bombshell results brought by fresh research, that rule may now make a comeback. People travelling on airplanes are now being urged to mask up. Shocking new research reportedly found coronavirus lurking on 96% of flights tested. Scientists have consequently detected the deadly virus in almost every plane’s wastewater.
As a result, experts are now warning that flying without protection could put travellers at risk, as COVID-19 continues to circulate widely among international passengers.
New findings have reportedly revealed that nearly every plane landing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is carrying traces of COVID-19. Scientists have reportedly discovered the virus in the wastewater of 28 out of 29 flights tested.
According to the National Public Health Laboratory Malaysia, testing on the final sample is still underway, but the results so far have experts on high alert. The samples, collected at international arrival points between June and December 2022, form part of a wider investigation into the spread of the virus, Airspothealth reported.
During the same period, the lab also reportedly checked 301 samples from 15 key locations across Malaysia. Health director-general Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah told Malaysian newspaper Sinar Harian: “SarsCoV-2 was detected in 288 samples.”
This result amounts to a staggering 95.7% of all flights. The process involves collecting untreated sewage from planes and testing it for contamination, as fragments of the virus can be found in the faeces of infected passengers, regardless of whether they show symptoms.
Malaysia’s Ministry of Health is reportedly carrying out this ongoing testing as an extra layer of protection to spot COVID-19 risks from abroad. Dr. Abdullah explained the surveillance is meant as an “early warning” and is just one of the country’s measures to tackle the current COVID-19 situation.
Experts reportedly say that analysing plane wastewater offers a snapshot of how much COVID-19 is circulating among travellers and can even help spot new variants before they spread. The UK Health Security Agency continues to utilise and expand wastewater monitoring.
In late 2025, a new £1.3 million program was launched to evaluate its use for a broader range of “high-risk” pathogens, including Mpox, avian influenza (H5N1), and Lassa fever. Moreover, research published by UK-based scientists (including Bangor University) mirrors the Malaysian results.
In studies at London Heathrow, Bristol, and Edinburgh airports, SARS-CoV-2 was detected in approximately 93% of aircraft wastewater samples. Despite these high detection rates in wastewater, there are no legal requirements for face masks on airplanes or in UK airports in 2026.
Major airlines like British Airways and Virgin Atlantic maintain that masking is a “personal choice” unless required by the destination country.
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