Hamad becomes first Middle Eastern airport to achieve 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating
Following a three-day audit, Skytrax awarded Hamad International Airport with the highest airport COVID-19 safety rating.
Credit: Hamad International Airport
Hamad International Airport (DOH) has become the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating by Skytrax. The audit evaluated how effectively COVID-19 policies are implemented at Qatar’s airport against the Skytrax COVID-19 safety rating standards.
The COVID-19 audit was conducted over three days in October 2020 and is based on a combination of procedural efficiency checks, visual observation analysis and ATP sampling tests, with the consistency of standards being a key determinant in the final rating applied.
The audit evaluated and verified the practicality and usefulness of physical distancing protocols, as well as the quality and availability of hand hygiene facilities across Hamad Airport’s terminal. The audit also assessed cleaning effectiveness and identified any potential contamination sources to ensure that the airport’s hygiene standards are complying with the most stringent requirements.
During the audit, Skytrax inspected and evaluated the standards of staff personal protective equipment (PPE) and their adherence to using them, as well as the implementation of thermal temperature screening procedures, face mask regulations and the overall cleanliness and hygiene standards across the airport.
Chief Operating Officer at Hamad International Airport, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, said: “We are proud that our COVID-19 policies and protocols are recognised by Skytrax and that we are the first in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Rating. Since the inauguration of Hamad International Airport in 2014, Skytrax ranking has always played an important role in DOH’s self-assessment and served as a quality benchmark to keep up with passenger expectations and operational excellence. DOH prides itself on its status as a five-star airport for the fourth consecutive year, and a five-star COVID-19 airport by Skytrax.”
The Skytrax COVID-19 Airport Rating provides an independent analysis of an airport’s COVID-19 hygiene and safety measures, assessing over 400 factors in a typical airport travel sequence. Conducted over a few days, auditors test and evaluate the airport’s COVID-19 procedures personally.
Edward Plaisted from Skytrax said: “Hamad International Airport has achieved great success in delivering COVID-19 protocols that are providing a safe environment for customers and staff. In areas such as hand hygiene and social distancing, Hamad International Airport has good procedures in place. The airport is also meeting high standards of sanitisation across the high-contact points. The consistency of COVID-19 safety procedures and systems is excellent, and this is a critical factor behind being able to certify Hamad International Airport with the 5-star COVID-19 Safety Rating.”
As Qatar’s state-of-the-art hub continuously prioritises passenger convenience and safety, the airport recently installed 15 PPE vending machines across its terminal to ensure that passengers can easily access various disposable and washable PPE equipment, including masks, gloves, hand sanitisers and face shield products. Physical distancing floor stickers are installed in front of every PPE vending machine to safeguard passengers safety.
Hamad Airport also invested in Smart Screening Helmets – wearable intelligent helmets that are portable, safe and effective in enabling contactless temperature measurement. This is in addition to UV disinfectant robots, which are fully autonomous mobile devices, emitting concentrated UV-C light that eliminates the majority of infectious microorganisms. The robots are being deployed in vulnerable high passenger flow areas to reduce the spread of pathogens.
Additionally, the airport recently installed C2 technology – the latest security screening system – which is a significant counter COVID-19 measure that reduces possible cross-contamination in passenger carry-on bags. The implementation of the technology elevates Hamad Airport’s hygiene standards by limiting human contact at security checkpoints, making the process safer and faster for both staff and passengers.
DOH is also one of the few global airports to offer a contactless and paperless airport experience with the introduction of biometric identification technology, in addition to touchless elevator keys.
Hamad Airport maintains stringent cleaning procedures in line with international standards. The airport continues to implement a 1.5m physical distancing across all passenger touchpoints around the airport, through floor markings, signage and distanced seating.
All passenger touchpoints are sanitised regularly and all gates and bus gate counters are cleaned after each flight. The airport also conducts regular disinfection of all baggage trolleys and tubs. Hamad Airport’s retail and food and beverage outlets encourage contactless and cashless transactions through cards and are considering introducing online or in-app purchases in the future
source : https://www.internationalairportreview.com/news/146363/hamad-airport-achieves-covid-19-airport-safety-rating/
and get to [ON-DEMAND WEBINAR] Re-inventing airport non-aeronautical revenue generation post COVID-19
ACI World proposes new Airport Health Measures Audit Programme
ACI World’s new proposed audit programme, to be delivered in partnership with Bureau Veritas, will support the airport industry’s recovery from COVID-19.
NEWS
Airports Council International (ACI) World has announced a partnership with Bureau Veritas – a world leader in testing, inspection and certification – to propose to airports, all around the world, an Audit Programme to ensure the proper implementation of appropriate health and safety measures.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought airports to a virtual standstill. To support the airport industry’s recovery, a commitment to the health and welfare of travellers, staff and the public is key.
The Airport Health Measures Audit Programme aims to support airport operators by addressing their specific risks and by reassuring passengers. The on-site audits – conducted by Bureau Veritas – and the associated SafeGuardTM label will enable airports to demonstrate their compliance with a harmonised set of measures, aligned with the recommendations of national and international authorities.
ACI World’s new proposed audit programme, to be delivered in partnership with Bureau Veritas, will support the airport industry’s recovery from COVID-19.
[ON-DEMAND WEBINAR] Discussing the impacts of COVID-19 on the NEXTT vision
This webinar looked at how NEXTT addresses the challenges brought by the COVID-19 crisis, and how some of the technologies and process changes contribute to the mitigation of health risks. Watch on-demand as the panelists answered questions on subjects including touchless processing and design flexibility during a panel discussion.
Click here to watch on-demand today!
ACI World’s Director General, Luis Felipe de Oliveira, said: “As an addition to our Airport Health Accreditation Programme, this partnership with Bureau Veritas will provide airports with the benefit of the rigor and precision of a robust physical audit of their processes. It illustrates to passengers, regulators and governments that they are prioritising health and safety. Bureau Veritas has the international experience and expertise to provide audits to verify that safety and hygiene protective and preventative measures related to COVID-19 are set up and implemented based upon international and national recommendations.”
“This partnership is another example of ACI’s intention to work with the industry to support recovery. Sustainable social and economic development can thus be delivered to the communities we serve. Partnerships will support the aviation industry and help to push it forward during the recovery process and beyond,” he added.
Antoine Blin, Director of the Aeronautics & Space Agency at Bureau Veritas, added: “We are proud to work with ACI to support the airport industry recovery through a solution fostering passengers’ trust. For several months now, the SafeGuardTM label has been successfully implemented in a large number of companies across various industries and geographies. Our global network of auditors has extensive experience in health and safety requirements and is able to mobilise worldwide. With our label, today, we have the ability to meet the new expectations of our society in terms of health and safety.”
The SafeGuardTM label addresses specific risks to all places where people live and work, providing a continuous reference to travellers along their journey. It means that teams have been effectively trained on hygiene best practices and assures that protective measures are properly set up and implemented in a transparent way.
For this partnership with ACI, Bureau Veritas has developed a dedicated checklist to cover all of the processes of an airport, from management to operations, which is deployed through an on-site audit. Health, safety and air transport experts all contributed to the creation of this airport-specific checklist.
Airports that successfully complete the process will be able to display the SafeGuardTM label to communicate this achievement to passengers, staff and the public on a dedicated website.
ON-DEMAND WEBINAR] Discussing the impacts of COVID-19 on the NEXTT vision
This webinar looked at how NEXTT addresses the challenges brought by the COVID-19 crisis, and how some of the technologies and process changes contribute to the mitigation of health risks. Watch on-demand as the panelists answered questions on subjects including touchless processing and design flexibility during a panel discussion.
Click here to watch on-demand today!
source : https://www.internationalairportreview.com/news/145334/aci-world-airport-health-measures-audit-programme/
Abu Dhabi International Airport gears up to introduce new ‘Smart Travel’ features
System improves passenger journeys through the airport and facilitates social distancing
Published: November 14, 2020 10:35Staff Report
By staggering passenger arrivals, the new system will mitigate crowding, facilitate social distancing, and shorten queues.Image Credit: Supplied
Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) is putting on trial a new enhanced ‘Smart Travel’ system, developed by Abu Dhabi Airports in partnership with ConvergentAI and powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), to shorten queues and streamline processes throughout the airport.
As a part of the ongoing trial, select passengers travelling with Etihad Airways will be informed of the optimal time for them to arrive at Abu Dhabi International Airport. By staggering passenger arrivals, the new system will mitigate crowding, facilitate social distancing, and shorten queues. Over time, as the AI-powered system continues to operate, it will become smarter and further streamline passenger journeys through the airport.
Shareef Al Hashmi, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “The enhancement of Abu Dhabi International Airport’s Smart Travel system is a significant step in our journey of continuous improvement and innovation as we shape the future airport experience.”
John Barton, Chief Information Officer said: “Minimising queuing at airports is key to safeguarding passenger health and well-being and streamlining operations, which is why we are working with our airline partners and ConvergentAI to precisely model our passengers’ journeys and improve them at every step. By enabling passengers to quickly and seamlessly transition through check-in, immigration and boarding, we are providing them with more time to enjoy everything Abu Dhabi International Airport has to offer,” added Barton.
Variety of benefits
The introduction of AI technology at Abu Dhabi International Airport is also benefiting airlines, retailers, and employees working at the airport in a variety of ways. Through using AI to monitor real-time imagery of aircraft, special programmes are being developed to guide on-ground teams to complete certain actions, such as the unloading of luggage or the refuelling of an aircraft at optimal times.
Abu Dhabi International Airport is also exploring the integration of AI into its safety and security systems, enabling the automated monitoring of camera feeds of the airport apron, the area in which aircraft manoeuvre and park. AI equipped systems can be taught to detect irregular activity or objects and notify the relevant teams to address potential issues swiftly and efficiently.
Paris CDG Airport now busiest in Europe, ahead of London Heathrow
The pandemic is causing some strange statistical deviances at airports across the world. In Europe it is manifested by Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport climbing above London’s Heathrow airport to claim the #1 spot by passenger numbers in the first nine months of 2020.
In fact, CDG was already catching LHR, and would probably have overtaken it during the next couple of years anyway.
Whether that remains the case at the end of the year is yet to be revealed, and will be determined by the various permutations of travel bans, quarantines and lockdowns imposed by the two countries and others, and in what order.
Right now, that is all they have to offer to deal with the pandemic, despite the clarion calls from the industry for a change of strategy.
more details : https://centreforaviation.com/analysis/reports/paris-cdg-airport-now-busiest-in-europe-ahead-of-london-heathrow-542752
Emirates launches integrated biometric path at DXB
Emirates has launched an integrated biometric path at Dubai International Airport (DXB), as part of its commitment to innovation.
The contactless airport experience is now open to Emirates passengers travelling from and through Dubai.
According to the airline, the integrated biometric path has been designed to give passengers a seamless travel journey from specific check-in to boarding gates, improving customer flow through the airport with less document checks and less queuing.
The biometric technology, a mix of facial and iris recognition, allows Emirates passengers to check in for their flight, complete immigration formalities, enter the Emirates Lounge, and board their flights. The various touchpoints in the biometric path allow for a hygienic contactless travel journey, reducing human interaction and putting emphasis on health and safety.
Adel Al Redha, Chief Operating Officer, Emirates, said: “We have always focused on providing a great customer experience at any touchpoint and now it is more vital than before to make use of technology and implement products, and introduce processes that focus not only on fast tracking customers, but more importantly on health and safety during their travel journey. The state-of-the-art, contactless biometric path is the latest in a series of initiatives we have introduced to make sure that travelling on Emirates is a seamless journey and gives customers added peace of mind.”
The biometric touchpoints are currently installed at select First, Business and Economy Class check-in desks in Terminal 3 at DXB; immigration gates including a “smart tunnel”; Emirates’ premium lounge entrance at concourse B as well select boarding gates. Areas where biometric equipment are installed will be clearly marked and additional units will be installed at each touchpoint in the future.
The Smart Tunnel, a project by the General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA) in collaboration with Emirates, is a world-first for passport control, where passengers simply walk through a tunnel and are cleared by immigration authorities without human intervention or the need for a physical passport stamp.
Emirates is also the first airline outside America to receive approval for biometric boarding from the U.S. Customs Border Protection (CBP). Customers flying from Dubai to Emirates’ destinations in the U.S. will be able to choose facial recognition technology at the departure gates.
The biometric path is the latest in a host of initiatives by Emirates to provide a smart contactless journey. In the last month, the airline has introduced other services including self-check-in and bag drop kiosks at DXB.
Lufthansa shares insights on why testing is central to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic
In recent months, airlines and airports around the globe have been working closely with governments and health bodies to set up COVID-19 testing capabilities as a way to kickstart international travel.
One airline that has been committed to proving that testing is a safe alternative to travel restrictions and quarantine regimes is Lufthansa. Back in June, the German carrier opened the world’s first, and largest, commercial COVID-19 test centre in Frankfurt Airport in partnership with Fraport and biotech company Centogene, later followed by centres in Munich, Hamburg and Düsseldorf airports.
In a conversation with FTE, Lufthansa Group’s Senior Director Product Management Ground & Digital Services Björn Becker, who has been spearheading the carrier’s efforts, shared some of the insights and lessons learned from setting up the pioneering testing facilities, ahead of his presentation at FTE APEX Virtual Expo, co-located with IFSA Onboard Hospitality Virtual Expo (8-9 December).
FTE: Lufthansa and Centogene disclosed that 400,000 passengers were monitored for COVID-19 at the Frankfurt Airport testing facility since it opened in late June. What feedback have you received from passengers on the testing procedure?
Björn Becker: We started the testing programme end of June and opened the first testing centre in Frankfurt with a capacity of 5,000 tests a day at the time. The capacity at Frankfurt is now 20,000 a day and we will further ramp this up, as it’s still not enough. We have opened further test centres in Munich, Düsseldorf, Hamburg and we’re planning to open one more in the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport as soon as it opens next week.
We’re convinced that testing is definitely the best way to fight the pandemic, much better than the quarantine. It gives you specific information on your health status, which is good for fighting the pandemic, but also for the travellers, as it gives them security on whether they’re infected or not.
In Frankfurt, there is a dedicated zone for Lufthansa passengers with an integrated premium line. Feedback from our customers has been very positive. The whole reason we started this is because we wanted to lower the hurdle of getting a test if you need it. About 60% get their test within 12 hours and nearly 100% within 24 hours, and if they use the express service it’s between 3-6 hours. So, the results are quick and reliable.
FTE: What were some of the challenges that you experienced when implementing the testing system? And how did you and your team overcome these?
BB: Finding the right partner was key. We did this first project together with Centogene, which is our lab partner here in Frankfurt, and with Fraport. We set up the test centre within four weeks and without these two strong partners this wouldn’t have been possible. It’s always difficult to start a new project in an airport environment with all the rules and regulations we have there. So, you really need strong partnerships to get this going.
When we started, we thought we would have 300-400 test a day, but within a week we were at 1,000 tests a day. So, we had to scale up quickly.
FTE: Some governments have been reluctant to implement testing as a way to eliminate the need for quarantine and other travel restrictions, based on the assumption that testing might not always identify a positive case, especially in an asymptomatic individual. So, how reliable is testing based on your research?
BB: Testing is definitely the best thing we have. PCR tests are considered the gold standard for detecting the virus with 99% sensitivity. There’s always a remaining risk, but it’s so small that it’s manageable. Quarantine is difficult to control and also in many countries, if one person from a household is under quarantine, the other members can still go out. So, quarantine is not really a secure way of doing it. Testing and being sure whether you’re infected or not is much better. If you actually know that you’re infected, then you will yourself make sure you don’t infect other people.
FTE: Recently, Lufthansa shared plans to introduce rapid COVID-19 antigen tests for passengers in October. Can you share some more details around this and what is the timeframe?
BB: When you do innovative things, such as the antigen test, you learn a lot. We started trials last week on flights from Vienna to Berlin with Austrian Airlines, where passengers were tested with the antigen test. First departures worked really well, we didn’t have any COVID-19 positive cases. We want to do more things here, but that can take two to three weeks until it’s implemented, but there’s definitely more to come.
FTE: Lufthansa is also weighing the option of offering testing to its passengers in the United States and Canada. Can you provide more details around this?
BB: We work together with partners in order to provide testing opportunities for our customers. We are in contact with different airports as well as lab partners in the US and also other countries. There will be flights where we will test passengers, like the Vienna-Berlin flights, in these markets sooner or later. That depends on how fast we can set up these processes and the testing capacity and facilities.
There are a lot of airports that are really going forward with this, for instance San Francisco International Airport is doing testing with United Airlines to Hawaii; Los Angeles International Airport and JFK are also doing a lot. There’s a lot going on and we contribute pushing it forward.
FTE: And how are you utilising digital technology to help prevent the spread of COVID-19? For instance, are you planning on introducing digital health passports?
BB: What we currently have is the digital PCR test certificate, which has been available since June. This is 100% digitalised. We’re looking into other solutions such as the CommonPass digital health passport from the World Economic Forum. We’re looking at various things here that we want to push, and we’re also pushing for initiatives and solutions so that we’re prepared when a vaccination comes.
Contact tracing is the other important part of the equation. It’s not only testing, but we also need to work together with the governments to find more efficient solutions for contact tracing. And we can achieve this together, as we have all of the data. We just need to bring it all together in a safe way and in compliance with data protection.
FTE: During the upcoming FTE APEX Virtual Expo, you will deliver a joint opening presentation with Volkmar Weckesser, PhD, CIO, Centogene, in a session titled “Biosecurity in the post-pandemic world: Safety, security and sanitisation – examples of best practice”. Can you provide a brief outline of some of the main points you will be covering?
BB: We’ll provide insights on testing and how we are bringing together all different elements we have for infection protection and biosecurity. Testing is an important element, but also for instance how the process is changing for boarding and deboarding, or our HEPA filters in the aircrafts. We want to do everything in a rational way so that we can ensure maximum protection. We’re in the hospitality industry, so we still want to offer a good experience.
FTE: And what are your main aims and expectations from the event?
BB: I’m really interested in how the FTE APEX Virtual Expo works virtually. It’s the first major event I will be attending virtually this year. I have done some recent webinars e.g. with our customers, but personal interaction is missing, so that’s something I’m really curious of how it can be achieved. I’m convinced that we would have a good exchange, but I am also looking forward to being able to meet face-to-face.