Airports Council International (ACI) World and ACI Europe have announced that Istanbul Airport is the first to be accredited through its new Airport Health Accreditation program.
ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation program assists airports by assessing new health measures and procedures introduced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic in accordance with ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Task Force recommendations and in alignment with the joint EASA and ECDC Aviation Health Safety Protocol and ACI Europe’s Guidelines for a Healthy Passenger Experience at Airports.
Topics covered by the accreditation include cleaning and disinfection, physical distancing (where feasible and practical), staff protection, physical layout, passenger communications and passenger facilities.
“I am very impressed in how the industry has swiftly adapted to new realities to introduce new protocols based on globally-consistent protocols,” ACI World director general Luis Felipe de Oliveira said.
“We congratulate Istanbul for being the first airport to be accredited through our new Airport Health Accreditation program which demonstrates that they are focused on the health and welfare of travelers, staff and the public. This will be crucial as our industry begins to restart and then prepare to sustain continuing operations, providing to passengers and employees high globally recognized standards on health and hygiene, which will help to restore public confidence in air travel.”
Kadri Samsunlu, chief executive officer at İGA Airport Operation, said, “Aviation is an important industry that is bound to international rules and committed to continuous improvement aimed at maximized passenger experience. We continue our efforts to offer our passengers ‘safe travel at maximum hygiene’ in the new normal.
“In this process, we first received the Airport Pandemic Certificate from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of Turkey. Soon after, we have signed the ‘Covid-19 Aviation Health Safety Protocol’ published by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Following this protocol signed by Istanbul Airport as the first airport in Turkey, the measures we have taken have been recognized also by key authorities of aviation industry.”
Olivier Jankovec, director Ggeneral, ACI Europe, commented, “Recovery from this unprecedented crisis has called for the swift and thorough implementation across the entire aviation system of the global standards developed jointly by competent authorities. ACI has worked hand in hand with ICAO, EASA and ECDC to help deliver a blueprint for safe airport operations amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
“This blueprint, which has served as the basis for ACI Europe’s Guidelines for a Healthy Passenger Experience at Airports, is now complemented by a new Airport Health Accreditation program. It is with great pride we note that the first airport to become accredited is European – reflecting the eager adoption of the new focus on the health-concerned passenger among airports across our region. Congratulations are in order for the Istanbul Airport team!”