Page 80 - World Airnews Magazine February 2020 Edition
P. 80

NEWS DIGITAL                                                                                                           NEWS DIGITAL


                                                                                                                                                          GUIDANCE ON GLOBAL


                                                                                                                                                          COMMUNICABLE DISEASE

                                                                                                                                                          TRANSMISSION







                                                                                                                                 Airports Council International
                                                                                                                                 World has provided guidance for airports
                                                                                                                                 following the recent outbreak of the
                                                                                                                                 corona virus.
                                                                                                                                  As the global response to the outbreak
                                                                                                                                 continues, it is expected that national regu-
                                                                                                                                 lators and health authorities will introduce
                                                                                                                                 measures directly affecting airports and the
                                                                                                                                 aviation industry more broadly.
                                   NCAA SETS NEW RULES FOR                                                                       advisory bulletin on the Transmission
                                                                                                                                  The ACI has therefore issued an
                                                                                                                                 of Communicable Diseases intended as
                                   AIRLINE OPERATORS                                                                             guidance for airports that can be modified
                                                                                                                                 to the local situation as necessary and
                                                                                                                                 used in discussion with local authorities
                                                                                                                                 and national regulators when determining        Face masks are selling out and temperatures are being checked
                                                                                                                                 appropriate actions.                             at airports and train stations in China as the new corona virus
                         Workers in protective suits check the condition of a passenger on an airplane that had just landed from   The bulletin deals with the issues                threatens to spread during the Lunar New Year travel rush
                                   the Changsha city - a province neighbouring the Hubei province where the outbreak began       of communication, responsibility and   corona virus outbreak,” ACI world director   decision-making and action.”
                                                                                                                                 screening.
                                                                                                                                  The top priority should be the swift   general Angela Gittens said.   Airport members are advised to refer to
                                                                                                                                                                     “The guidance we have issued re-iterates
                                            are to be submitted to the port health   airlines are to contact port health services   agreement between the airport and the   a number of options and best practices that   the general guidelines that are contained
                                                                                                                                                                                                      in the document entitled ‘Airport
                                            services on arrival at the designated point   for clearance before importing human   relevant authority of responsibility and   airports and national authorities can use   preparedness guidelines for outbreaks of
         Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority   of entry.                         remains into the country.                         accountability for measures.       to protect against communicable diseases   communicable disease’.
          (NCAA) has put all airline operators, Air   “Sick passengers on board an aircraft are   “Designated points of entries are to   The ACI World’s guidance complements   that might pose a serious risk to public   To keep updated on the latest news
          Navigation Service Providers (ANSP) and   required by the crew to fill in a passenger   ensure stakeholders collaboration in the   region-specific advice issued by ACI Asia   health.      on the corona virus outbreak, ACI
          Aerodrome Operators on alert over the   locator form in line with Nig.CARs   handling of a suspected case of communi-  Pacific to its members recently.    “The recommendations are designed to   recommends interested parties get their
                                            18.8.22.5.
                                                                               cable disease in line with their respective
                                                                                                                                  “The health and welfare of travellers,
          outbreak of the corona virus and set new                             public health emergency contingency plans         staff and the public, and to reduce the   reduce exposure to an infectious agent at   information from the website maintained
                                              “The completed passenger locator forms
          guidelines for their operations.  are to be submitted to the port health   (PHECPs).                                   opportunities for dissemination of commu-  airports and to improve the response to   by the World Health Organisation (WHO)
           General Manager Public Affairs Sam   services on arrival at the designated point   “Routine measures, train staff, provide   nicable diseases, are the priorities for the   health-related emergencies by establishing   WHO Disease Outbreak News or www.who.
          Adurogboye made this known in a state-  of entry,” he said.          appropriate space, stockpiling of adequate        aviation industry following the recent novel   standards and procedures for rapid   int/. Q
          ment issued in Lagos.               Adurogboye said airlines must have on   equipment including personal protective
           Adurogboye said the alert and guidelines   board the appropriate number of first   equipment should be in place at POE.
          were contained in a letter by the acting   aid kits, universal precaution kits and   “The equipment will be used in assessing   NEWS DIGITAL
          director general NCAA, Capt. Sidi Abdullahi.  emergency medical kits according to the   and managing ill travellers detected before
           The NCAA official said it had called for a   provisions of Nig.CARs 7.9.1.11 and 7.9.1.12.  travel on board aircraft and on arrival,” he
          high level of vigilance by airlines, especially   He said airlines must make sure their   said.
          those operating international and regional   crew members are up to date in how to   Adurogboye said the procedures were                         FLYWESTAIR INCREASES FLIGHT
          flights, all designated point of entries   handle communicable disease on board an   in place for communicating information
          (POEs) and travelling public.     aircraft.                          on ill travellers between aircraft and POE
           According to the letter, all operators are   Adurogboye said cabin crew should   and between POEs and National Health                           FREQUENCIES
          now required to carry out the following:  follow the operational procedures   Authorities.
           “Pilots in Command of aircraft are   recommended by the International Air   He said safe transportation of symptom-
          to report to the Air Traffic Control any   Transport Association (IATA) and their   atic passengers to hospitals or designated
          suspected cases of communicable disease   airlines’ standard operating procedures in   facilities for clinical assessment and                                               “These new flights are being added in response to market
          on board an aircraft in line with Nig. CARs   handling possible cases of communicable   treatment was organised.                                                           demand and are a testament to our hard-working team at
          18.8.22.4.                        diseases on board an aircraft.       An NCAA official said airlines and              Namibia private airline Westair Aviation has announced the   FlyWestair,” said Westair Aviation CEO Henri van Schalkwyk.
           “In case of a suspected case of communi-  “They are to ensure that passengers with   POEs were to report to it in writing any   addition of two-weekday flights to the current routes serviced by   Westair Aviation launched its domestic passenger flights in
          cable disease on board an aircraft, the air   symptoms of acute respiratory infection ex-  suspected case of communicable disease   its commercial airline, FlyWestair.    late June last year following the granting of its designated carrier
          crew is to fill the aircraft general declara-  ercises cough etiquette maintain distance,   observed in flight or at any Point of Entry   Starting next  month, FlyWestair will increase the number of   status by the Namibian Transport Commission.
          tion in line with Nig. CARs 18.8.17.4 and   cover coughs and sneezes with disposable   (POE) - International Airport.   weekly flights to Ondangwa, Oranjemund and Cape Town with   According to the Namibian-owned company, FlyWestair has
          Annex 8 of International Health Regulations   tissues and wash hands thoroughly.  Adurogboye warned that failure to     two-weekday flights per week, the airline said in a statement  conducted more than 600 flights since its inauguration, with
          (IHR 2005).                         “Passengers should be encouraged by   adhere to these guidelines would be            “This will increase the airline’s flight frequency to these key   an on-time dispatch reliability of 98.7 percent for over 20,000
           “Completed aircraft general declarations   the crew to self-report if they feel ill while   viewed seriously by the authority. Q  destinations from 30 to 46 flights per week,” the statement said.  passengers.  Q


                                                   World Airnews | February Extra 2020                                                                                    World Airnews | February Extra 2020
                                                            — 76 —                                                                                                                 — 77 —
   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85