Hong Kong International Airport Accredited By Global Health Program To Build Passenger Confidence In Upcoming Air Travel
September 16, 2020
Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) announced today that the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has been accredited under the Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) program of the Airports Council International (ACI), recognizing the airport’s high standard in upholding health and safety in its operations. HKIA is among the first few Asia Pacific airports to be accredited by the program.
The AHA program was established to support airports around the globe to introduce new hygiene measures against global standards aim in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reveals how an airport’s health measures are aligned with the ACI Aviation Business Restart and Recovery guidelines and ICAO Council Aviation Restart Task Force recommendations along with industry best practices.
By assessing the new health measures and procedures of the airports in the areas including cleaning and disinfection, physical distancing, staff protection, physical layout, passenger communications and passenger facilities, the accreditation enables airports to demonstrate to passengers, staff, regulators, and governments that they are prioritizing health and safety in a measurable and an established manner. The program was launched in July 2020 and the accreditation is valid for the next 12 months.
Vivian Cheung, executive director, Airport Operations of the AA, said, “We are honored to be one of the first airports in Asia Pacific to receive the accreditation, which recognizes our continued efforts in implementing various health measures to ensure the safety and well- being of the airport staff and passengers. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been working with the airport community and the government in prioritizing public health in the airport’s daily operations. We will continue to strengthen our works and conduct ongoing self-assessment according to the evolving situation of the pandemic, with a view to maintaining the safe and healthy environment and building passengers’ confidence in traveling at HKIA.”
Luis Felipe de Oliveira, director general, ACI World, said, “Congratulations to AA for becoming accredited in the ACI AHA program. The program is designed to help reassure the traveling public that airport facilities remain safe and that precautions are being taken to reduce any risk to their health. We feel confident that AA’s efforts will help us succeed in achieving this common goal.”
Over the past few months, the AA has been implementing a host of enhanced health measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic at HKIA, including:
- Introducing the latest disinfection technologies, including disinfection channels, antimicrobial coating and autonomous cleaning robots, at terminals
- Mandating all passengers and staff members to wear masks
- Installing e-security gates equipped with facial recognition technology to support touchless security processing
- Conducting temperature screening for all persons entering the terminal and upon arrivals; installing over 400 hand sanitizer stations throughout the passenger terminals
- Stepping up cleaning and disinfection efforts on airport facilities and passenger amenities
- Installing protective screens at airline check-in counters and other service counters
- Segregating originating departing passengers and transfer passengers in separated zones in the seating area of the boarding gates
- Using signage, public announcements, tensile barriers and floor markings to remind passengers, and airport staff, of the safe distance advice
- Collaborating with catering outlets to provide self-service kiosks to reduce contact between staff and customers
- Providing personal protective equipment for frontline staff, with respective training on the proper use and disposal