Final answer:
If a woman is coughing and sneezing next to a man on an airplane, the infection can be transmitted to him via the airborne route through inhalation of respiratory droplets.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most likely means of transmission from the woman to the man on the airplane, if she has an infection and is coughing and sneezing, would be the airborne route. When a person coughs or sneezes, they expel respiratory droplets that may contain pathogens. These droplets can be inhaled by nearby individuals, which is how illnesses like the flu and the common cold are spread.