13-06-2022
Terminals
General points:
- Suspension of social distance measures in all places (indoor and outdoor areas), in all activities and events.
- Wearing masks are no longer required in indoor or outdoor areas, but it is recommended to wear them indoors.
- It is recommended to establish channels to communicate with passengers and employees to report any breach of requirements and to report and record violations. The person in charge must be trained in that.
Inside the terminal:
- An isolation room must be prepared in the epidemiological control center for suspected cases from employees or travelers. The epidemiological control center at the airport and the competent authorities must be informed in case of a suspected case to take the necessary measures.
- Conduct monitoring visits to ensure the implementation of the protocols.
- It is recommended to place a warning sign at the entrance of the smoking room warning about the possibility of increased the risk of COVID-19 infection inside smoking rooms.
- It is recommended to place signs showing the maximum number allowed inside the smoking room, warning against violating that, and identifying a means of communication to report violators.
- Ensure good ventilation inside the smoking rooms and increasing air purifier devices and their capacity.
- It is recommended to provide hand sanitizers beside touching devices such as ATMs or automatic vending machines.
- It is recommended to use one-way stairs.
- Ensure that hand soap and disinfectant are available in the toilets.
- Urge passengers to use electronic means of payment and avoid paper and coins in restaurants and the ticket-buying area as much as possible.
- Urge passengers to use hand sanitizers after using the fingerprint devices and in all places where there is contact with devices or tools.
- It is recommended to follow (The Scientific Guidelines of Disinfection) when cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces, facilities and toilets.
- It is recommended to disinfect airplanes completely and continuously after arrival, including passenger seats, seat belts, dining tables, restrooms, and luggage lockers.
- It is recommended to disinfect buses and corridors that designated to transport passengers to and from airplanes periodically.
- It is recommended to disinfect toilets every two hours.
- It is recommended to have good ventilation in all places inside the airport, especially common places, and reduce the temperatures in general in airport lounges and in the airplanes in particular.
- It is recommended to change and clean air filters for ventilators, especially air conditioners periodically.
Inside the plane
General points:
- Allow serving meals during flights.
- Allow air sales in the plane.
- Passengers and plane crew must follow the basic infection control practices:
- Avoid touching noes and lips after washing hands or while wearing gloves.
- Practice the routine hand washing for at least 40 seconds and use hand sanitizer for 20 seconds especially after touching surfaces or removing personal protective equipment, or after dealing with passengers.
- Treat all body fluids (such as diarrhea, vomiting, or blood) the same as those suspected of being infected.
- Cleaning and disinfection of contaminated areas.
- Train the cabin crew in basic infection practices and how to deal with the suspected cases during the fight.
- Encourage passenger to disclose any symptoms if they feel ill.
Passengers
- It is recommended to provide personal hygiene tools (such as wet wipes, sanitary sheets, face masks made of cloth and sterilizers) for each passenger.
- It is recommended to wear a face mask before boarding the plane and at all times during the flight.
Procedures when a suspected case of COVID-19 is appearing on the plane
- If a passenger shows symptoms, take the following procedures:
- A passenger who has symptoms must be seated in a designated seat with two empty seats in each direction around his seat.
- Assign a crew member to deal with suspected passengers during the flight.
- Minimize contact with sick passengers as much as possible.
- Sick passengers are not allowed to move as possible except for emergency cases.
- Allocate a toilet to the passenger who shows symptoms near to his\her seat.
- “The Passenger Locator Form” should be used in case there is a sick passenger on the plane. This form is useful for gathering information about passengers and cabin crew who were in contact with the patient.
- The crew members who deal with the patient should use the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment.
- Report the suspected cases to the Epidemiological Monitoring Center at the airport and MOH’s staff to obtain the required directions to transfer the case to hospital.
- The suspected case will disembark after all passengers leave unless the case requires urgent intervention.
- It is necessary to cooperate with the Ministry of Health in the process of monitoring people who were in contact, if the case has a positive result by (the Command and Control Center and Public Health in the region) in order to apply the epidemiological investigation procedures and home isolation according to the procedures followed.
Communication and implementation
- Remind passengers to the necessity of ensuring the health requirements and protocols applied in the country to which they plan to go, as well as comply with any precautionary measures set by the authorities of the destination country (such as laboratory examination, quarantine and isolation).
- Remind passengers to carry comprehensive and valid health insurance before traveling according to the requirements of each country.
- Show the disinfection best practices on screens inside airplane and in terminals (such as disinfecting passenger seats and toilets before and after use).
- It is recommended to appoint protocol managers to ensure that established protocols issued by the competent authorities are followed.
- It is recommended to provide clients and employees with directions on sanitizing their hands before and after using shared facilities.
- It is recommended to conduct mandatory health and safety trainings on COVID-19 for all employees and crew.
