Epidemiological evidence has demonstrated the speed and extent to which influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) may be disseminated globally and cause a significant burden on human health and health systems.1–3 International passenger arrivals worldwide reached 1087 million in 2013 and, with transport hubs expanding both in passenger volume and in number of destinations, it is important to understand the role of transportation systems in respiratory virus transmission events to inform public health policy.4 It has been hypothesized that mass transport systems are involved in amplifying and accelerating the spread of influenza and coronaviruses globally, due to high crowd densities and enclosed spaces, which provide prime conditions for person-to-person transmission via inhalation of virus in aerosols and/or droplets.5 High passenger throughput provides enhanced opportunities for indirect transmission via fomite spread.