Dublin Airport has received a global endorsement for the measures that it has introduced to protect the safety of passengers and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The airport’s efforts have been formally recognised by Airports Council International (ACI) World and ACI EUROPE and Dublin Airport is now a member of ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation programme.
The airport health accreditation programme provides airports with an independent assessment of the new health measures and procedures that have been introduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also measures an airport’s compliance with new industry standards in relation to health safety.
“After reviewing the evidence presented through our evaluation process, Dublin Airport has shown that it is providing a safe airport experience for all travellers, said ACI Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira. Dublin Airport is operating “in line with the recommended health measures established in the ACI Aviation Business Restart and Recovery guidelines and ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Task Force Recommendations, along with industry best practice,” he added.
ACI EUROPE Director General Olivier Jankovec also congratulated Dublin Airport’s achievement in gaining the accreditation. “Dublin Airport has a long history of putting the customer at the heart of what it does and the entire team at Dublin has been hugely focussed on protecting the health and safety of passengers during the pandemic,” Mr Jankovec said.
“This accreditation shows that the processes and systems that Dublin Airport has put in place are world-class and fully aligned with best practice in our sector. As a result of their hard work and dedication, passengers can confidently enjoy their journeys in a safe environment.”
Dublin Airport has introduced a wide range of new measures to protect the wellbeing and safety of all passengers and staff in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It has installed more than 1,000 hand sanitisers throughout the airport, and more than 700 plexiglass screens are in place at close contact points throughout the airport. About 12,000 separate pieces of COVID-19 related signage are in place to assist and inform passengers, and there are also regular announcements on the airport’s public address system to remind passengers of social distancing guidelines.
Dublin Airport’s cleaning processes have also been enhanced to reflect COVID-19. All key contact surfaces such as security trays, self-service kiosks, escalator handrails, and trolleys are now undergoing enhanced cleaning, with a specific focus on any areas where passengers dwell.
Modern electrostatic disinfection techniques are being used in many key areas. This electrostatic cleaning uses a special spray which is electrically charged, and this enables the sanitisers and disinfectants in the spray to wrap around and evenly coat all types of surfaces for a much more complete and longer-lasting clean.
Dublin Airport Managing Director Vincent Harrison said the ACI accreditation was “a significant validation” of the work that the airport has undertaken in the area of health and safety in recent months.
“The safety of our passengers, our employees and the staff of all the other companies that operate on the campus is always Dublin Airport’s main priority,” Harrison added. “We introduced our safety measure based on a comprehensive series of risk assessments and the new international guidelines, and it is very pleasing that the efforts of the entire Dublin Airport team have been recognised in this manner.”
Areas that were considered within the accreditation process included cleaning and disinfection, physical distancing, passenger communications and passenger facilities, staff protection, and the physical layout of the airport.
