Safe in the Skies
Understanding for initiatives passenger adopted wellness by airlines
Astudy by Harvard University indicates that ying can be safer than grocery shopping, in terms of Covid-19. e research substantiates how a layered approach of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPI) such as wearing masks, temperature screening and distancing protocols together with an e ective onboard ventilation system dilute and reduce the risk of the virus transmission on aircra .
With travel becoming a rather niggling activity due to the several restrictions, it only makes sense for airlines and other aviation industry members to focus on upgrading as well as introducing new protocols that ensure physical and mental wellbeing of passengers.
A dedicated wellness personnel, rigorous cleaning procedures, revamped in ight services, hygiene kits and Covid-19 covers are few of the many measures that airlines are adopting to assure passengers of the safety of air travel, even amidst the pandemic.
For instance, Indian fullservice carrier Vistara, through its #FlyingFeelSafeAgain and #FlyerCODE campaigns, is raising awareness about safe air travel and has been in constant touch with travellers to inform them about their customer centric initiatives.
A Vistara spokesperson said, “e result of our latest customer survey validates the impact of our e orts.
Two out of every three customers who responded to the survey thought that ying is the safest mode of travel, while 63 per cent of the respondents expect to take their next ight by February 2021. Furthermore, 71 per cent of customers rated us 8/10 or higher for their con dence in the airline ensuring their health and safety. Our customers also gave us ratings of 4.1/5 and 4.2/5 for international and domestic travel, respectively, on ease of nding Covid-19 information.”
Airlines are inducting wellness experts onboard to take care of passenger wellbeing
Humans aren’t built to not interact; and so when it comes to undertaking that short, medium or long-haul ight during this ongoing Covid-19 period, travellers will rely on the fellow beings, primarily cabin crew to seek comfort and deal with travel anxiety.
that global health and hygiene regulations are being fully adhered to, keeping guests protected when they travel.
“Prior to their journey, guests can reach out to them 24/7 via our live web-chat. ey are present on ground at Abu Dhabi International Airport to ensure the same levels of care and support are provided at every point of the customer journey through the airport, from check-in to lounges and boarding, so that guests can y with added comfort, security and con dence.”
Another case in point is Turkish Airlines; its Hygiene Experts are in charge of lavatory disinfection and enforcement of all onboard hygiene and social distancing measures. Likewise, Fiji Airways has medically quali ed Customer Wellness Champions — the role manages and maintains wellbeing, customer medical safety and promotes wellness
A good hygiene kit is an important aspect of aviation industry’s cleanliness module
covering throughout the ight, except when they are served their meals or drinks. Business class customers are asked to wear their face shield and mask onboard at their own discretion, as they have more space and privacy.
Cathay Paci c’s Cathay Care kit includes essentials such as face coverings and sanitisers. e airline has upgraded the levels of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) used by the crew and sta while preparing and distributing meals onboard. For further protection during the meal service, the cabin crew wears gloves and face coverings across cabins.
Etihad Airways o ers antimicrobial treated snood style face masks for business and rst class customers. e reusable snoods have been treated with “a broad spectrum antimicrobial treatment, laboratory tested and proven to reduce the presence of germs in fabrics”. e Microbe Barrier fabric treatment adds a long-lasting protective barrier, enabling them to be washed and reused.
Well, who doesn’t love a lavish meal at 30,000 feet? But what the situation demands from us at present, is a more prudent F&B approach that is regulated by minimum contact and digital ordering.
British Airways has introduced a new ordering system in its lounges to reduce contact and they also have a new food service in place, which reduces human interaction.
On long-haul ights, Singapore Airlines (SIA) has introduced a single tray service in First Class and Business Class in place of a table layout service. To boost the in ight dining experience even during this period, SIA is progressively
reintroducing customer favourites such as the signature satay and garlic bread.
Onboard Qatar Airways as well, business class meals are served covered on a tray instead of a table set up, and a cutlery wrap is o ered to passengers as an alternative to individual cutlery. e airline has also introduced single-use menu cards and sealed refreshing wipes.
On the domestic front, Vistara has been o ering limited meal options, served to each passenger on a single tray, as per the regulatory guidelines.
e menu has been curated considering the nutrition values and wellness of passengers.
Interestingly, immunity boosting drinks like haldi doodh (turmeric milk); tulsi (holy basil)-mint shikanji (lemonade) and rasam (spicy-sweet-sour stock) are very much in demand across Indian airports.
In the current scenario, it is imperative for airlines to guarantee that passengers’ travel needs are guarded, right from the moment they step out of their homes. Technology comes handy in this situation as showcased by global
airlines like Cathay Paci c, Singapore Airlines and Etihad Airways.
Elaborating on how the ag carrier of Hong Kong is utilising technology, Anand Yedery, regional head of marketing and sales, south Asia, middle east and Africa at Cathay Paci c says, “We believe it is our responsibility to communicate with our customers and keep them abreast with all relevant information. rough multiple channels such as our website, the dedicated customer care numbers, the recently introduced WhatsApp chat feature, social media channels and our newsletters, customers can be rest assured that we are providing them with the latest travel updates. We are dedicated to being with our customers at every step of their journey, ensuring they have a seamless and superior travel experience with us.”
Similarly, the SingaporeAir mobile app is being enhanced to provide customers with more information about the travel and health restrictions across SIA’s network; and is personalised according to bookings. e company is also developing a Print-n-Go solution, which would allow customers to print their boarding pass and baggage tags at airport self-service kiosks in a contactless way via the SingaporeAir mobile app or a QR code.
Onboard, SIA’s e-Library has proved to be the ideal digital replacement for the newspapers, magazines and seat-back literature that have been removed from aircra .
is is available via the SingaporeAir mobile app, and provides access to more than 150 international newspapers, magazines and other reading material. e airline also o ers the world’s rst Companion App, which allows customers to control KrisWorld, SIA’s in ight entertainment (IFE) system, via their mobile devices.
Etihad Airways has partnered with Sitata, a Canadian travel risk management company, to launch an interactive travel map on etihad. com. e travel map uses advanced computer algorithms to detect new travel information across the globe. With this, Etihad’s guests have easy