Qatar Airways unveils protective kits for fliers & cabin crew
QATAR Airways (QA) has increased its health and safety measures onboard by introducing new personal protective equipment (PPE) for passengers and cabin crew.
The airline’s additional robust measures include offering face shields and protective kits to all passengers, in addition to a new protective gown for cabin crew.
The disposable face shield will be available in two standard sizes – one for adults and the other for children.
The children’s face shields feature the airline’s Oryx Kids Club mascots as part of their design. Passengers travelling from Hamad International Airport (HIA) will receive their face shields at the check-in counters, whereas at other destinations, the face shields will be distributed at the boarding gates.
Onboard, all Qatar Airways passengers will be provided with a complimentary protective kit. Inside a ziplock pouch they will find a single-use surgical face mask, large disposable powder-free gloves and an alcoholbased hand sanitiser gel. Business Class customers will also be offered an additional 75ml sanitiser gel tube.
Qatar Airways has also introduced new disposable protective gowns for cabin crew that are fitted over their uniforms, in addition to safety glasses, gloves and a mask.
The new branded gowns are personalised with Qatar Airways’ logo imprinted on the top left corner.
QATAR Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said, “Through the COVID-19 crisis, the safety of our passengers has been our top priority. By implementing these additional safety and hygiene measures on board, our customers can rely on us and our unparalleled expertise to take them safely to their destination. As the largest international airline consistently to fly throughout the pandemic, we have become one of the most experienced in safety and hygiene. We will continue to lead the industry in terms of the services offered to our passengers so that they can travel confidently.
In order to ensure the highest level of hygiene on board, passengers of the Economy Class are required to wear their face shield visor in addition to their face mask to cover the entire flight, except when they are served their meals or drinks.
Business Class customers are asked to wear their face shields and masks on board at their own discretion, as they enjoy more space and privacy. In addition, for aircraft equipped with Qsuite, the award-winning business seat of Qatar Airways, Business Class customers are offered even greater privacy with sliding partitions and fully closing doors and an option to display a ‘Do Not Disturb (DND)’ indicator if they wish to limit their interactions with cabin crew.
Parents flying with children should advise them to continue wearing their PPE throughout the journey, although children under two years of age are not advised to wear face shields and face masks or blankets. During boarding and disembarkation, all passengers will be required to wear a face mask or a face shield.
Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, the airline has also taken additional health and safety measures on board its flights. Qatar Airways also introduced single-use menu cards and sealed refreshing wipes. Economy Class meals and cutlery are served sealed as usual, and menu cards are temporarily discontinued. All social areas on board the aircraft have been closed due to social distance measures.
QA aircraft are regularly disinfected using cleaning products recommended by the International Air Transport Association ( IATA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Its aircraft are equipped with the most advanced air filtration systems, equipped with industrial HEPA filters, which remove 99.97 per cent of viral and bacterial contaminants from re-circulated air, providing the most effective protection against infection.