Page 56 - World Airnews Magazine August 2020

NEWS DIGITAL

ACI LAUNCHES ACCREDITATION

PROGRAMME

“While the Covid-19 pandemic’s effects ICAO, EASA, and ACI’s global guidance."
have halted the airport industry at Topics covered by the accreditation
The Airports Council International has global level, airports are vital cogs in the include cleaning and disinfection, physical
launched the Airport Health Accreditation aviation ecosystem and our airport health distancing (where feasible and practical),
programme to assist airports by assessing accreditation programme will help to staff protection, physical layout, passenger
new health measures and procedures restore passenger confidence in air travel.” communications and passenger facilities.
introduced as a result of the COVID-19 ACI world director general Luis Felipe de Airports are communities - or mini-cities
pandemic against global standards. Oliveira said. “As important engines of – so, to address this, all passenger areas
As airports around the world begin growth, wealth creation and employment, and processes are considered including:
to restart and then prepare to sustain the recovery of the airport sector will be • terminal access and check-in area
continuing operations they are focused on a significant driver of the global economic • security screening
the health and welfare of travellers, staff recovery. • boarding gates and lounges
and the public. “Key to this recovery will be reassuring • retail, food, and beverage areas
The ACI Airport Health Accreditation the travelling public that airports are • gate equipment such as boarding
programme provides airports with an prioritising health and safety and providing bridges
assessment of how aligned their health safe and hygienic facilities. • escalators and elevator
measures are with the ICAO Council “Assessment is aligned with guidelines for
Aviation Recovery Task Force or CART health measures established by ICAO, EASA • border control areas and facilities (in
recommendations along with industry best and ACI to help airports to prioritise and collaboration with authorities), and
practices. promote a safe and healthy environment • baggage claim area and arrivals exit.
The CART guidelines are very well aligned for passengers, staff and the public. The programme is voluntary and open
with the ACI aviation business restart and “Airports cannot do this in isolation, to all ACI member airports of all sizes in all
recovery guidelines as well as the European however, and collaboration, cooperation regions.
Union aviation safety agency Covid-19 and consistency across the aviation indus- Upon submission of the completed
aviation health safety protocol guidelines. try will be the key to rebuilding global air questionnaire and all supporting materials,
The programme enables airports services capacity and keeping passengers a virtual evaluation is conducted online
to demonstrate to passengers, staff, safe, healthy and secure as we do this. by ACI to determine that health measures
regulators and governments that they “To assist airports, ACI has developed the are being applied in alignment with all
are prioritising health and safety in a airport health accreditation programme the ICAO CART guidelines, EASA and ACI
measurable, established manner while to promote best practices and help align recovery guidance protocols, including ACI
also validating their own measures and efforts across the industry to harmonise Europe’s guidelines for a healthy passenger
processes. measures, processes and procedures with experience at airports. Q

World Airnews | August Extra 2020
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