Abu Dhabi airports have adopted various precautionary and preventive measures across their facilities. This step has been taken to ensure safety and health of their employees and passengers while limiting the spread of coronavirus, as national aircrafts operations are resuming gradually through Abu Dhabi International Airport (ADIA).

General Manager of ADIA, Mohammed Hussain Ahmed said in a statement that the procedures being adopted include contactless control in elevators, self-sanitising escalators and use of modern Artificial Intelligence based technology in sanitation process. This will be along with following of social distancing and mandatory use of face masks and gloves.

ADIA adopted these procedures in collaboration with the relevant Emirati companies to ensure highest standards of international level are maintained to counter coronavirus. Ahmed also said that the security inspection equipment at the airport have been modified to self-sanitising. A free shop has also been opened to maintain social distancing at the airport.

Ahmed elaborated the on-board precautionary measures that have been adopted by Etihad Airways, which are in accordance to the highest international standards. Flight timings have been increased by 5-8 minutes to ensure proper implementation of these measures. He added that all travelers arriving in Abu Dhabi have to undergo a comprehensive assessment area for tracking people who have been exposed to confirmed cases of coronavirus. Passengers would have to get PCR test done that would give result in – minutes.

There are 10 key steps that would incorporate all the precautionary and preventive measures taken by airport staff to ensure safe and pleasant travelling experience for all the passengers.

Smart sanitizing gates

These gates will be at airport’s main entrances and exits. The passengers passing through them will get their temperatures measured here. Then a smoke-based sanitizer, which is internationally acclaimed will be used to sanitise all the travelers from head to toe, taking less than 3 seconds. This alcohol-free sanitizing liquid is safe to use and kills 99.9% of germs and viruses, including coronavirus.

Contact-less elevators

This second step incorporates 53 elevators that have contactless control equipment installed.

Smart devices providing Face masks and gloves

The third step will have passengers avail face masks and gloves through many smart devices before they commence their trip.

Thermal monitoring cameras

These cameras will monitor and verify whether all passengers are wearing masks and gloves properly. In case of any lapse or non-compliance, officials would be alerted.

Online arrival registration

As the fifth step the passengers will reach arrival registration area at the airport to finish the procedures online. Etihad smart application can also be used to finish the registration so as to limit contact.

Self service platform

At the sixth step the passengers will arrive at the self-service platform. This is a part of recently incorporated arrival procedures for registration. Assessing of health and safety of travelers would be ensured by facial recognition technology. This includes temperature, heart rate and breathing rate measurement.

Business class lounge

This seventh step is applicable to passengers flying in business class, employees of business class lounge in which they would be required to wear PPE (personal protective equipment). Reception desk at these lounges would also be installed with separators and barriers, tables will be placed apart by 2 metres. Meals would be tested through random testing individually.

Thermal Checkpoints

The eighth step would require travelers to pass through cameras equipped thermal checkpoints where temperature would be checked and also it would be ascertained if they are wearing masks.

New shopping experience

A brand new shopping experience will be provided as the ninth step in a free shop. Shopping areas have been closed to ensure safety and health for all during pandemic and to ensure social distancing. But travelers can shop on their mobile apps or at airport’s websites. Then their orders will be delivered directly to them before their flight.

Boarding pass

This final step is for when the passengers have to scan their boarding pass before flight. As per social distancing norms, a limited number of passengers are to be allowed to board at a time. Furthermore, they would have to scan their pass and show their passports to limit interaction with employees.

Etihad Airways has launched a programme “Etihad Wellness Ambassadors.” In this first kind of initiative in aviation sector highest precautions to ensure safety of passengers are followed. The programme also incorporates the application of precautionary measures at the supply facilities of airlines and food quality assurance labs. Also full sanitization of all aeroplanes is ensured.

Vice President of Guest Services at Etihad Airways, Linda Celestino said that following the social distancing protocol on the plane, there will be space in between seats to most of the destinations. Although, families and groups would be allowed to sit together.

She further added that in case a passenger or on-board staff gets sick during a flight, they would be quarantined in isolation area at the back of plane with several seats reserved for this purpose. Health authorities would be thereafter notified before landing.

Flight crew would be required to wear face masks, disposable gloves and preventive clothing. Planes will be cleaned after reaching every destination. Health and safety tools, like gloves, face masks and sanitisers would be provided to all travelers by Etihad’s staff, Celestino further noted.

Attila Sagi, Senior Manager Technical Advisor, Midfield Terminal Programme at Etihad Airways said that the airways has adopted a technology to ensure contactless travel procedures. This is through “Fit to Travel” device that will monitor temperature, heart rate and breathing rate of passengers. It will also ask them about their last 14 days and to declare whether they are fit to travel.

If the device doesn’t declare if the traveler id fit to travel then would be referred to a medical team mid-air for further examination.