Global Aviation Authorities Implement New COVID-19 Safety Measures for Air Travel

After more than two months of crisis, the air transport sector is working to get back on its feet. Now forced to live with the virus, a new health protocol, developed jointly with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), was approved this Monday, June 1, 2020 by the ICAO Council.

According to these new recommendations, the traveler now presents a health declaration on arrival, before undergoing an initial temperature check. To avoid contacts and queues, the organization recommends favoring online check-ins and redefining the passages through security checks.

Mandatory, each passenger wears the mask inside the terminal and before boarding. He must also respect the physical distance of at least 1 meter. Furthermore, movements during the flight, queues towards the toilets are prohibited or must be reduced.

As for the seats, no requirement has been made in the face of the economic threat hanging over the business. However, the organization recommends spacing passengers apart from each other according to the aircraft’s capacity. As for meals, they must be pre-packaged. Temperature taking must also be respected upon arrival.

All these measures to fight the risk of contamination in this sector which, according to ICAO, could lose 1.5 billion passengers by the end of the year.