Working to make European Air Travel Safe During COVID-19

International Airport Review spoke with EASA about the importance of having a consistent approach to COVID-19 health safety, and to learn more about its new aviation guidelines that were developed with ECDC.

On 20 May 2020, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) issued joint guidelines that defined measures to assure the health safety of air travellers and aviation personnel once air travel resumes following the severe disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Can you provide a brief overview of the guidelines and how EASA worked with ECDC to develop them?

The guidelines are aligned with the passenger journey and outline the steps that should be taken at each stage to minimise the risk of COVID-19 infection”

EASA and ECDC were requested to work together by the European Commission (EC) to create these guidelines, combining our expertise in aviation with ECDC’s scientific knowledge to make the best possible recommendations for health safety in air travel.

The guidelines are aligned with the passenger journey and outline the steps that should be taken at each stage to minimise the risk of COVID-19 infection.

Passengers will be asked to fill out a health statement, as well as asked not to come to the airport if they are symptomatic or have come into recent contact with an infected person. Additionally, they should bring medical face masks to the airport and wear these throughout their journey.

Airports should be set up in such a way that physical distancing is applied wherever possible. On board, passengers should be spread out across the aircraft if the occupancy level allows. On flights where distancing is not possible, the wearing of a medical mask and air filters should offer protection for passengers against the virus.

Finally, measures should be put in place to minimise the possible transfer of the virus through surface contact – for example, through on-board material, such as magazines, or during service and duty-free sales.

How were the guidelines adapted in order to be able to accommodate airports, airlines and aircraft individually?

Our aim was to create as harmonised an experience as possible”

While the guidelines are not mandatory, the aviation industry shares a common goal in wanting to make flying attractive to passengers once again. That can only be achieved if passengers are confident that flying is safe for their health.

The guidelines offer a blueprint to make air travel as safe as possible, so, we indeed expect that there will be a high level of adoption. Our aim was to create as harmonised an experience as possible, while still bearing in mind that airports and aircraft differ from each other, so a one-size-fits-all solution is not feasible.

Why is it important to develop a consistent continent-wide approach to COVID-19 health safety measures in airports?

Our guidance puts a lot of focus on passengers taking responsibility”

We are all in this together – aviation stakeholders, airport operators, regulators and passengers – and we should all do everything in our power to get out of this crisis with the lowest negative impact possible, especially in terms of human lives.

Consequently, our guidance also puts a lot of focus on passengers taking responsibility, informing themselves and adhering to the measures in place to ensure a safe and comfortable journey for them, as well as for their fellow travellers.

How will the guidelines help to restart the European aviation industry?

The entire aviation industry has an interest in restoring passenger confidence”

As mentioned above, the guidelines are not mandatory. However, the entire aviation industry has an interest in restoring passenger confidence so that operations can recover from this unprecedented crisis. The guidelines aim to create a safe air travel experience for the whole of Europe, as well as for flights to and from Europe.

EASA considers air travel to be ‘safe’, providing all parties abide by the guidelines. The guidelines define all possible and practical measures to make air travel as safe as possible, despite the problems of COVID-19. Although we cannot guarantee 100 per cent prevention against infection, the guidelines put everything in place to minimise the risk.

What does EASA hope to achieve through the COVID-19 measures monitoring programme?

We have launched the monitoring programme to work with airports and airlines who have agreed to implement the guidelines and give us feedback on how they work in practice. This will help us to understand what problems are encountered in real-life situations.

ECDC is also constantly gathering new scientific information about the spread of the disease, which could result in changes – of whatever type – to the guidelines as we collectively understand more about this disease.

Los Angeles Airport Deploys Thermal Camera Technology In Fight Against Covid-19

By introducing new thermal camera technology, LAX Airport will be able to rapidly identify people with a potential fever, a main symptom of COVID-19.

Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) – with the Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti – has announced the launch of the Terminal Wellness Project at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), involving the deployment of thermal camera technology that can help to identify travellers with an elevated body temperature. The introduction of the temperature checks at the airport is the latest measure in the city’s continuing response to the COVID-19 health crisis.

Mayor Garcetti said: “A world-class airport isn’t defined just by our historic investments in a reimagined LAX and an improved travelling experience – it’s also about world-class safety. This project reflects the best of this city’s innovative spirit, and it will help keep travellers healthy and set a new industry standard.”

Prior to the pandemic, LAX was the third busiest airport in the world and welcomed a record 88.1 million travellers in 2019. In April 2020, passenger traffic at LAX was more than 95 per cent below what it was a year earlier.

As of 23 June 2020, thermal cameras will be deployed at two locations inside the Tom Bradley International Terminal at the airport – at the main entrance on the departures level and inside the terminal near select international arrivals – with both arriving and departing passengers set to be screened. The cameras are designed to rapidly identify people with body temperatures of 100.4 degrees or more, which is the current guideline for detecting a fever set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Credit: Los Angeles International Airport

This is a voluntary programme, with signage alerting passengers where the trial will take place. If a voluntary participant is identified as having an elevated body temperature, a medical professional near the camera operator will approach the identified person and request a secondary screening using a handheld, non-contact thermometer. Departing guests who are identified as having an elevated body temperature will be advised that they should not travel. Passengers on arriving international flights identified as being potentially ill may be referred to CDC staff on site.

The thermal camera temperature checks will not replace other safety measures that are currently in place at Los Angeles Airport. To protect guest privacy, the cameras will not store, transmit or share any data or images taken. Guests who decline to participate will have the opportunity to use a different pathway.

The airport will work closely with multiple partners to evaluate the use of the technology, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), airlines, CDC, and the L.A. County Department of Public Health. Results from this programme will be shared with these partners and leading airports around the world in an effort to set new standards for the industry.

Under Mayor Garcetti’s leadership, LAX has taken aggressive action to protect travellers and residents from COVID-19. The airport has introduced additional signage directing guests to practice social distancing, wear a face covering at all times and wash their hands frequently. In addition, LAX has increased deep cleaning throughout the airport, focusing on ‘high touch’ areas, and has installed more than 250 hand sanitiser stations. LAWA is continually working with partners, shops and restaurants to deliver a seamless, contact-free experience.

Criteria for COVID-19 Testing For Post-Covid19 Travel Process Published by IATA

Should COVID-19 testing be introduced as part of the travel process, IATA has highlighted that speed, scale and accuracy must be considered.

 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released criteria for the use of COVID-19 testing in the travel process. Should governments choose to introduce COVID-19 testing for travellers arriving from countries considered as ‘high risk’, IATA has stated that testing must deliver results fast, be able to be conducted at scale and operate to very high rates of accuracy. Additionally, testing must be cost-effective and not create an economic or logistical barrier to travel.

In early June 2020, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) published ‘Take-Off’ guidance, which has been adopted as the global guidance for governments to follow in reconnecting their people and economies by air. The guidance outlines layers of measures to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission during air travel and the risk of importation of COVID-19 via air travel. IATA has highlighted that COVID-19 testing should not be deemed a necessary condition by governments for re-opening borders or resuming air services.

However, IATA has outlined that technology for rapid point-of-care Polymerised Chain Reaction (PCR) testing could be a useful layer of protection for travellers from countries considered as higher risk, potentially removing the need for more burdensome and intrusive measures – such as quarantine, which is a major barrier to travel and the recovery of demand.

IATA’s Director General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, said: “Airlines are committed to reducing the risks of COVID-19 transmission via air travel, and COVID-19 testing could play an important role. But it must be implemented in line with ICAO’s global re-start guidance with the aim of facilitating travel. Speed, scale and accuracy are the most critical performance criteria for testing to be effectively incorporated into the travel process.”

As part of the travel process, IATA has outlined that COVID-19 testing would need to be conducted by trained public health officials and meet the following criteria:

  • Speed: Testing results should be delivered quickly, with results available in under an hour as the minimum standard
  • Scale: If testing takes place at the airport, testing capacity of several hundreds of tests per hour must be achievable. The use of saliva for taking samples rather than nasal or throat swabs would facilitate this and would also be expected to reduce time and improve passenger acceptance
  • Accuracy: Extremely high accuracy is essential. Both false negative and false positive results must be below one per cent.

Testing processes

Ideally, COVID-19 testing would be required in advance of arrival at the airport and within 24 hours of travel. Passengers arriving ‘ready to fly’ reduces the risk of contagion in the airport and enables early re-accommodation for any traveller who tests positive.

If testing is required as part of the travel process, it is recommended at departure. Governments would need to mutually recognise test results and data transmission should take place directly between passengers and governments in a similar manner as e-visa clearances are currently handled.

Any testing requirements should only be in place for as long as necessary. To ensure this, regular evaluations should be conducted.

Cost considerations

Cost is an important consideration, as testing should facilitate travel and not provide an economic barrier. With testing at some European destinations costing in excess of $200, this is a real concern.

IATA supports the World Health Organization‘s (WHO) International Health Regulations, which requires governments to bear the costs of mandatory health testing. Where a test is offered on a voluntary basis, it should be charged at cost price.

Testing positive

Ideally, testing takes place prior to travel or at the point of departure, and a positive result would mean that the passenger could not travel as planned. If testing is mandated on arrival and a passenger tests positive, then the passenger should be treated according to the requirements of the receiving state.

 

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