There are some who sit back in times of crisis and wait for things to get better. There are others who take the initiative and try to make things better for everyone.
I am very proud that our team at Africa World Airlines, working in partnership with our domestic competitor airline PassionAir, as well as Ghana Airports Company Limited, Ghana Health Service, and Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, have taken the lead to develop a set of new passenger safety standards for domestic air travel in Ghana.
Ghana will become the first country in Africa, and only the second in the world after Vietnam, to restart domestic flights after a temporary suspension due to COVID-19.
These new standards, which are constantly evolving, will initially include:
- Thermal screening on entry to the terminal
- Mandatory use of face masks by all passengers, airport staff and crew
- Non-contact ID check procedures at check-in
- Enforced social distancing on board aircraft (nobody will have another passenger other than their child under 12 seated next to them)
- Requirement for passengers to sanitize their hands at the boarding point
- Prohibition of food and drink consumption on board domestic flights (which have a maximum duration of 1 hour)
- Spraying of checked baggage with disinfectant spray at the collection carousel.
Our aircraft will also be subjected to an enhanced cleaning regime after each trip that targets high risk surfaces such as window panes, tray tables and air vents.
Aviation in its most basic form is an unnatural phenomenon. We can never be perfectly safe while flying through the air at 500 miles per hour in a pressurised metal tube. Yet, aviation has become the safest mode of transport in human history because of the dedication of countless airline professionals the world over who spend their careers trying to understand and mitigate these risks.
Whether it was Ebola a few years ago, COVID-19 today, or some other unforeseen challenge in the future, we must all strive to manage the risks as well as we practically can. Our team is confident that these measures, although far from perfect, will allow our passengers to “Fly Safe, Fly Confident” when they next travel with Africa World Airlines.
Welcome to the “New Normal” of air travel.
By Sean Mendis, COO Africa World Airlines
