Six-foot decals marking intervals on the floor, mandatory masks, frequent reminders of sanitisation and hands-free check-in are common sights across airports these days. Air travel halted in February-March 2020 due to the spread of Covid-19, forcing airlines to park their liveries for an indefinite time period. While penning this article (mid-October), I notice the industry slowly coming out of the lull, and cautiously rebuilding passengers’ confidence in flying once again.
On ground technological solutions such as robot cleaners, electronic health declarations, thermal screenings, testing kits, and trials of touch-less passenger processes like the biometrics facial recognition (with masks) show that the global aviation industry is all set to deal with the crisis with a planned approach.
Industry experts recommend solutions such as a systematic testing for Covid-19 prior to departure, or at the arrivals (airport), easing quarantine rules and offering exemption to those who test negative.
Further emphasising on the need for testing before travel, Alexandre de Juniac, International Air Transport Association (IATA) director general and CEO says, “The key to restoring the freedom of mobility across borders is systematic Covid-19 testing of all travellers before departure. Testing all passengers will give people back their freedom to travel with confidence.”
A Digital Health Pass: COMMONPASS
Developed by The World Economic Forum and The Commons Project Foundation, a Switzerland-based non-profit service, CommonPass will be a new digital certificate for travellers’ negative Covid-19 result. This pass can be accessed on their phone. According to some industry reports, trials for the pass have begun in London, New York, Hong Kong and Singapore with Cathay Pacific Airways and United Airlines.
Testing Times
Major airlines and healthcare facilities across the globe are trying to make testing easier for travellers. For instance, Collinson, owner of lounge provider Priority Pass and Swissport, has announced their facility for Covid-19 testing at London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 2.
If you are considering flying with Etihad Airways, Covid-19 RT PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) tests are mandatory.
Neerja Bhatia, vice president, Indian sub-continent, Etihad Airways says, “Countries around the world have issued specific rules and regulations to limit the spread of Covid-19 and we are taking all precautions to keep guests protected when you travel. It is mandatory for guests flying Etihad to have a Covid-19 RT PCR test carried out a maximum of 96 hours before their flight departure time at any government accredited medical facility. The carrier is offering PCR tests included in all air tickets until December 31, 2020, booked by customers in the UAE for flights departing from Abu Dhabi International Airport, with the exception of services to China. Earlier this year, Etihad also partnered with Mediclinic Middle East, to offer its UAE-based travellers a convenient Covid-19 PCR testing service at their home. Enabling home PCR tests has helped us ensure that guests can travel with a greater peace of mind.”
The airline has introduced a Covid-19 global wellness insurance cover as well. In addition to this, the carrier has partnered with an Austrian-based healthcare technology company Medicus AI, to launch a Covid-19 risk-assessment tool, empowering guests to make informed decisions about travelling. Available on the Etihad.com, it will guide guests in evaluating the probability of having contracted Covid-19 by responding to a set of 22 questions.
Other leading airlines such as Emirates, Flydubai, American Airlines, Lufthansa, Oman Air, and Finnair are extending their support to fast track the Covid-19 testing procedures for passengers too.
Some are on trials — like the UK-based Virgin Atlantic, which has been working on rapid pre-flight Covid-19 tests for cabin crew and pilots departing London Heathrow airport since last month. Corneel Koster, Virgin Atlantic’s chief customer and operating officer says, “This trial is the first step in our phased plan to introduce regular testing for all our teams in the air and on ground, in order to instil confidence in flying. However, we continue to call for the swift introduction of a wider coordinated passenger testing regime.” In August, the airline launched a global insurance cover with Allianz Assistance.
Back home, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai and Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi have implemented an express testing facility for all passengers. Initially, at CSMIA, it was launched for arriving international transit passengers only (in line with the directive from the Ministry of Civil Aviation) but it has been extended to passengers departing from the airport as well. The facility is located on the curb-side of Level 4 at Terminal 2 for departing passengers.
India’s low-cost carrier Goair has launched the Go Exclusive service, providing passengers with a convenient way to book pre-flight Covid-19 test appointments across India and overseas destinations. For this initiative, the airline has partnered with ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) approved lab aggregator, Stemz Healthcare.
Tech Talk
Airlines like Japan Airlines (JAL) continue to embrace new technology to provide customers with a safe and secure travel experience. The airline has started its trial of new touch-free technology at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. The new kiosks will be equipped with state-of-the-art touch-less sensors. A statement of JAL says, “Through the use of infrared technology, customers will be able to make their selections by holding their finger three centimetres away from the check-in system.”
Recently, Emirates introduced self-check-in and bag drop kiosks at Terminal 3, Dubai International Airport. The solution was developed in-house at Emirates in collaboration with Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects and Dubai Airports. The kiosks allow customers to check-in, receive their boarding pass, choose seats on board, and drop off their bags.
Hamad International Airport (HIA) in Qatar has set a new benchmark by launching the trial phase of SITA’s Mobile Solution technology for contactless self-check-in and baggage drop. Passengers now have the option to use their mobile phones to control the kiosk screen via the SITA Contactless Kiosk Solution. Safety measures at airport terminals have further been strengthened by fully autonomous disinfectant robots and advanced thermal screening helmets. Likewise, Istanbul Airport is using smart screening helmets for thermal screening too.
Qatar Airways has started using UV cleaning technology onboard its aircraft, which it says “has been shown to be capable of inactivating various viruses and bacteria”.
On the home turf, India’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad has developed a solution of touch-less elevator control system based on Infrared technology. Other initiatives include self-check-in kiosks, tech-enabled entry gates, self-baggage drop, virtual information desk for passengers and UV enabled disinfection of Automatic Tray Retrieval Systems (ATRS) at the pre-embarkation security screening zones.
To better manage passenger flow during peak hours, Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru has rolled out a tech-enabled queue management system. For this, the airport has collaborated with Swiss company Xovis that develops, manufactures and distributes 3D sensors and software solutions for people flow measurement. Xovis PTS, a state-of-the-art passenger flow management system, displays live waiting times on the screens at processing points. The Xovis 3D sensors will capture passenger flow coordinates at departure gates, check-in, immigration, security hold areas of both domestic and international flights and visa sections.
Japan’s NEC Corporation has improved its facial recognition technology with the development
of a new face recognition engine that provides high-precision certification even when masks are
worn. According to NEC’s internal evaluation, the new engine confirmed a high recognition accuracy, with a rate of over 99.9 per cent, regardless of the colour of the mask and any pattern printed on it.
Wellness Onboard
To maintain a harmonious and stress free inflight environment is more important now than ever. To ensure this, some airlines are now deploying a dedicated wellness expert on board.
A case in point is the “Etihad Wellness” programme. Bhatia explains, “This programme, championed by specially trained Wellness Ambassadors, is an industry-first initiative. Our multi-lingual team of Wellness Ambassadors are available round the clock and will provide essential travel health information. They will also be present on-ground at Abu Dhabi International Airport to ensure guests are assisted at every point of their journey with the airline, right from check-in and security, to immigration and boarding. Additionally, this dedicated team will be present on every flight, providing added comfort and confidence.”
Etihad Airways is also the first airline to trial an airport technology to help identify medically at- risk travellers. Undertaken with Australian company Elenium Automation, these contactless devices can monitor the temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate of any person using an airport touchpoint such as a check-in or information kiosk, a bag drop facility, security point or the immigration gate.
Similarly, Turkish Airlines has introduced “hygiene experts”. Their primary role is to monitor passengers for compliance with hygiene protocols and disinfect every surface the passengers may have touched.
Based in the South Pacific, Fiji’s national carrier, Fiji Airways, has announced the addition of medically qualified “Customer Wellness Champions” on and off ground. They manage and maintain wellbeing, customer medical safety and promote wellness through service interactions between passengers and crew.
Keeping a connect
Since there are still restrictions and flights haven’t resumed in full capacity yet, airlines are hosting virtual experiences to keep the connection with passengers.
Singapore Airlines has curated special experiences for patrons in Singapore. As a part of its “Discover Your Singapore Airlines” programme, guests get an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of SIA’s training facilities and an insight on the airline’s 70-year old history. As a part of their Restaurant A380 @Changi, guests can enjoy an exclusive dining experience complemented by the airline’s signature service inside an Airbus A380.
British Airways’ popular “Flying with Confidence” course went digital for the first time in October this year. The course is usually organised in a classroom format, providing in-depth information to attendees on how an aircraft functions, followed by a short flight on the following day. However, it has been offered as a live interactive webinar.
Keeping up with the podcast trend, Etihad Airways has released “Altitudes by Etihad”, a podcast that provides listeners with unique insider information on how the airline responded to the effects of the pandemic. “In October, we released an official podcast, Altitudes by Etihad, to provide listeners with unique insights on how the airline responded to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and discussed some of 2020’s most significant events. In the first episode, Etihad Aviation Group’s CEO, Tony Douglas, threw light on how the airline responded to the pandemic with 80 per cent of our fleet on-ground and discussed how the industry is coping with the pandemic. We will be adding new episodes regularly, featuring guests from both the airline and wider industry. “Altitudes by Etihad” can be found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and other major podcast platforms,” explains Bhatia.
Lounge Break
While many airport lounges are closed until further notice, some are welcoming guests with safety protocols and digital enhancements in place. They have reopened with minimised or eliminated features; buffets have been replaced with a contactless food ordering system; inclusion of self-guided meditation and relaxation therapies via apps; and bringing in alternative options for shower and nap facilities among others.
Priority Pass has launched “The Ready 2 Order” digital solution to enable more socially distant, touch-free food and beverage ordering. Airport lounge major – Plaza Premium Lounge — has been reopening select lounges across the airports with a new set of enhanced hygiene measures, including the preparation of pre-portioned food and social distancing.
The perception of the airport lounges has seen a change, says Priyanka Lakhani, commercial director middle east and Africa and director south Asia, Collinson. “Lounges are not just seen as a necessary and safe part of the journey but also regarded as a high-value service that enhances the overall travel experience.”
According to the survey conducted by Priority Pass, the majority of frequent travellers plan to increase their use of the airport lounges upon returning to travel, seeking a more contactless and digital experience. As per the research conducted by the team, around 66 per cent (almost seven in ten travellers) respondents would pay for access to an airport lounge with controlled guest numbers and social distancing.