The new normal: Hygiene moves up the airline agenda
Hygiene has moved to the top of the agenda for travellers. Jo Austin discovers how airlines and suppliers are cleaning up their act
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on global aviation, rail and cruise sectors, and all are working to discover a ‘new normal’ post-pandemic. The strongest focus for both operators and suppliers has been on passenger hygiene and safety from disease risk. These priorities are now at the heart of every element of the passenger journey.
The global advice on social distancing has been the biggest practical challenge, and while leaving one seat or even a row empty between passengers may be possible in times of low demand, it is clearly not financially sustainable in the longer run when, according to IATA, load factors need to average 77 per cent for airlines to break even.
Aircraft interiors specialists have scrambled to find new seating configurations and barrier shields that might help, but ultimately the likes of IATA, APEX and EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) seemed to agree it was guidelines around the mandatory use of facemasks for passengers and crew which were
the most realistic and helpful. Many international and airport bodies have also been working on new health protocols and certifications which could help ensure sick people don’t get onboard, but APEX’s own research has shown that key to passenger confidence is clear communication and visible evidence of hygiene measures, and the commitments airlines make on this.
Airlines were keen to be ready for travel bans to lift and services to resume, and made speedy investment in new ways of working. New hygiene measures and crew protocols have become the norm and wellbeing/safe travel programmes have been launched and widely circulate to spur confidence building. Comprehensive video footage was created to show the deep cleaning of aircraft in minute detail, although there has in fact been no conclusive evidence to date that anyone has ever actually contracted COVID19 during a flight. HEPA filters which filter air circulated vertically rather than horizontally help suppress potential spread and have been shown to be over 99.7% effective according to most studies around virus transmission.
But perceptions matter, so complimentary hygiene kits including face masks, gloves, antibacterial wipes and hand sanitiser have become the order of the day, and full Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) has become standard for cabin crew.
Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ ceo, said: “The risk of catching an infection on an aircraft is already very low, but we have spared no effort in reviewing and redesigning every step, from check-in to disembarkation”.
While in the U.S., United ceo, Scott Kirby added: “Safety has always been our top priority, and right now it’s our singular customer focus. We recognise that COVID-19 has brought cleanliness and hygiene standards to the front of customers’ minds when making travel decisions, and we’re not leaving a single stone unturned in our pursuit to better protect our customers and our employees.”
Calin Rovinescu, president and ceo at Air Canada added: “We intend to continue enhancing with best practices from around the world, including increased use of screening tools, such as blood oxygen level testing, as they become available.”
In Asia, where face masks were already widely used, experience from past pandemics ensured fast action and greater confidence, and flights began to restart here soonest. Regarding increased hygiene regimes, Akira Mitsumasu, vp global marketing at Japan Airlines, said: “Turnaround time is the major challenge as it is extremely difficult to change departure and landing slots at airports so we have to ensure a plane is totally clean in a restricted timespan. We can control what is done at our own hub airports but it is not so easy to control overseas ground cleaning companies. Inflight cleanliness can be a combination of what airlines do themselves and what they can ask passengers to do.”
The hygiene challenge also revealed the need for airlines and airports to collaborate more than ever across the passenger journey. Airports have stepped up their hygiene initiatives with many in Europe signing the COVID-19 Aviation Health Safety Protocol published by EASA. The Safely Restarting Aviation – ACI and IATA Joint Approach paper – also combined airline and airport input to build a roadmap for resuming operations, and built on the work of the COVID-19 Aviation Recovery Task Force, led by the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which tried to bring government bodies and industry together.
IATA’s director general and ceo, Alexandre de Juniac, said: “We are determined that aviation will not be a significant source of re-infection. We are working continuously with governments to ensure that any measures put in place are done so consistently and with scientific
We are determined that aviation will not be a significant source of re-infection
backing. That is the key to restoring public confidence so the benefits of safely re-starting aviation can be realised.”
Istanbul Airport was among the first to use thermal screening of passengers and employ a dedicated hygiene team to ensure that passengers follow strict social distancing measures. The team wear screening helmets with thermo-scan sensors to scan passengers as they enter the airport or wait in line. Only people with a valid ticket are allowed to enter the airport, all passengers are required to wear face masks, and hand sanitiser is provided at more than 500 locations. Numbers allowed into toilets are restricted to avoid crowding and ultra-violet based tunnels now disinfect airport security trays and baggage.
Touchless technology is seen as critical and the hygienic requirements of the pandemic may in fact help to accelerate the roll out of touchless innovations that already exist and could in many ways enhance the passenger journey, making transit through the airport smoother. The shutdown has offered some time in which to implement tech changes already being planned.
With this in mind, Yates+ has partnered with Neoma, the AI hospitality systems specialist, to launch trials of an AI-driven app designed to present the 'next normal' airport experience. A fully contactless experience, the SafeGo app, is being trialled in a Middle Eastern airport and uses high intensity camera facial bio-screening at every point of contact. The app means no paper ticket, no baggage tags, no human contact required at any point from airport curb to aircraft door.
Yates+ ceo Keith Yates said: “We recognise a seismic shift in customer sentiment. Safety of self and family is now the dominant theme. Safety translates to a desire for no face to face human contact on the airport journey. So we set about digitalising the airport experience, building in the most advanced AI technology plus an app managing the journey coupled with the latest camera bio-match technology to secure the customer at each connecting point.”
Solutions are also being identified and championed through the post-COVID-19 Passenger Experience Think Tank made up of airlines, airports, the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) and members of the FTE Innovation & Startup Hub.
APEX ceo, Joe Leader, said: “As we rapidly move forward to the new ‘norm’ airlines are finding
The shutdown offered some time to implement tech changes many have been proposing for years
ways of making passengers feel safe. Much is down to perceptions and how we engage.”
Suppliers pivot
Within the supplier sector, creative teams quickly began to pivot their activities to focus on amenities for the ‘new normal’.
Madrid-based Kaelis reacted instinctively to source face masks and PPE as Spain was drawn into the worst of the European outbreak. Federico Heitz, ceo, said: “In the beginning we were simply trying to help save lives (especially in Spain) by using our supply chain of 23 years to source PPE but the project soon developed and three months on we had supplied over 15 million pieces of PPE to airlines, hospitals, ambulances and all around he world.
“PPE production became our main activity but we hope this will not be forever. The main point is convincing the passenger that they are safe to fly and getting them back on the aircraft.”
His team developed a new Self-Protective Pocket Pouch (branded SP.3) which includes a face mask, gloves, hand sanitiser and alcohol wipes and can be adapted to include other health and hygiene items too.
Heitz sees this as a new business opportunity, symbolic of the way the industry can adapt when it has to: “There is not an airline in the world that does not think it needs to protect its crew and passengers. I think these items will ultimately be in addition to, not instead of, established kits. Ours is a very resilient industry and although this is probably our toughest crisis yet, we will recover and get stronger”.
Gategroup’s deSter was already selling more than 200 million PPE type items a year even before COVID-19 in its professionals range for employees, including protective gowns, shoe covers, hairnets, visors and face shields. The team adapted these to create ‘Welcome Back’ packs for both passengers and flight crew. Included items can be customised to meet different requirements across both the airline and food service industries – and include face masks, disinfecting wipes, gloves, hand gels and bespoke hygiene packs.
Likewise skysupply and FORMIA created new hygiene focused options.
Skysupply has Small, Medium or Large Hygiene Kits which come in a zipped pouch made of sustainable Kraft paper. The Small has one disposable face mask and three sanitiser wipes. The Medium includes two disposable masks, 30ml hand sanitiser and a pair of nitrile gloves, and the Large comes with an additional pack of 10 hand sanitiser wipes. All products are CE approved ensuring that they meet the EU
Ours is a very resilient industry and although this is probably our toughest crisis yet, we will recover and get stronger
standards and airlines are able to customise the bag and its content.
FORMIA’s new range of Clean Kits were developed with quality PPE and sanitiser products which comply with international safety standards and regulations, and are available as own-branded or in collaboration with a choice of trusted brand partners. The range comes with individually-sealed products in a smart, durable pouch with customising options for branding.
Maintaining the connection with quality brands and balancing the gifting ‘luxury’ of an amenity kit with the current hygiene imperative has remained top of mind for suppliers.
Buzz turned its design team’s attention to post-COVID wellbeing products and predicted increased demand for ‘clean’ brand partnerships going forward.
Marketing director, Lisa Degen, said: “Trusted solutions are paramount for restoring confidence, and travellers will want to be proactively responsible for ensuring all touchpoints along their journey are clean. Comfort and wellness remain a key trend, but it has become a communal duty rather than an individualistic focus. There is a heightened awareness of the social responsibility of health and wellbeing, and wearing a mask has become a symbol of caring for others, as well as a form of fashionable self-expression.”
The company is working on new kits based around 'clean' products and wellness priorities, working with established brands such as Murchison Hume, C.O. Bigelow, Rohr Remedy and Aromatherapy Associates which combine high quality cleaning with luxury skin care.
Matrix went a step further creating a completely new toiletries brand – BeCleanCo – which puts wellbeing and hygiene at the heart of its positioning. Items in the range include a 2-in-1anti-bacterial hand gel+ – an anti-bacterial gel with the added benefits of a hand cream for protection and hydration in one; an antibacterial hand gel alternative to soap and water, face masks and gloves.
The items can be bundled in packs for airports, with wipes and a ziplock pouch, or for airlines as PPE amenity kits in a wax paper pouch. The brand has already been picked up and is
Comfort and wellness remain a key trend, but it has become a communal duty rather than an individualistic focus
flying with a UK and Spanish airline.
Albéa Travel Designer found they were knocking on an open door with their Travel&StaySafe customisable amenity kits and these are already being offered by two major airlines and France's biggest taxi business.
The range features masks, hydro-alcoholic gel, gloves etc, and is designed to suit both airlines, rail operators, shipping companies and private transport companies. They are made to order with a variety of products and styles available. The company has also launched an e-commerce platform where all its PPE offering and kits are offered, with low minimum order quantities available.
SPIRIANT partnered with FUZE-technology to offer its #flysafe amenity kits. The PPE kits come in three styles: Essentials, Eco Warriors and Fashionistas. The Essentials concept includes a MOPP pouch that contains items such as non-woven face masks, a small bottle of hand sanitiser and sanitising wipes. While the Eco Warriors range combines hygiene offers with environmental awareness and a general sense of fashion. It includes a reusable face mask and a pack of sanitising towels stored within a brown and dark green pouch, designed to resemble the eco-friendly material. The customised Fashionista collection will contain a refreshing towel and pack of tissues, and reusable face mask made with 100% cotton fabric in a choice of eye-catching designs, which can reflect airline brand identity, and reusable post-flight.
Galileo Watermark launched IN SAFE HANDS and IN SAFE LITTLE HANDS for kids. The adult range includes the standard items - hand cleansing gel, face mask, kits etc, and it can be fully customised for airline customers or presented as travel retail. The children’s range is intended to engage children and help take the fear factor out of masks and other PPE products which can seem a bit intimidating to kids.
Global Inflight Products created a range of kits for passengers, cabin crew and cockpit use featuring its Clean is Possible range and Briotech electrolysed cleaning sprays in a variety of combinations, alongside PPE and hygiene support items.
With strong supply chain connections in China, Malton Inflight stepped up efforts to get PPE to where it was most needed from the start of the crisis. Projects & marketing manager, Alex Oakley, said: “We were able to pivot our offering and leverage our extensive sourcing network throughout Asia to gain access to these much needed supplies and get them where they need to be. We have seen a huge surge in interest as companies put measures in place to ensure they are doing their part to help stop the virus spread. Situations such as this really do bring out the best and worst in
A kids hygiene range is intended to engage children and help take the fear factor out of masks and other PPE products which can seem intimidating to them
people and corporations, thankfully we are seeing much positivity and support from our customers, suppliers, staff and stakeholders. We are doing our best to help by keeping prices low and not engaging in any of the profiteering that we have unfortunately seen in some areas.”
In the U.S, Linstol is offering a robust mix of PPE safety essentials packed in customised kits as well as broader hygiene products such as Theraworx Protect, Pure and ICloth specialist superbug defence brands.
The wide availability of hand-sanitisers has become standard along the passenger journey and businesses like Freshorize are working to distribute hand soap and sanitisers to passengers and crew. The company’s multipurpose disinfectant EPA wipe is Boeing and AMS certified and very effective in the cabin, on seats, in lavatories and galleys. The company is also working on a ready-to-use multi-purpose disinfectant spray and has received requests for passenger kits with alcohol-based wipes for hands and surfaces, gloves and face masks, and hand sanitiser.
RMT Global Partners’ has seen strong interest in its Inflight Tidy Kit designed specifically for cabin crew as a practical tool - a solution to cleaning and sanitation during the flight when cabin cleaners are not available.
With this issue top of mind for most travellers there are also indications that hygiene products for travel retail are increasingly in demand. Travel Retail Global is among those tailoring its portfolio to fit the bill. It launched a personal safety travel kit for sale at airports and inflight.The Protect-Aid Safety Travel Kit is said to kill 99.9% of potentially harmful germs and bacteria and contains four essential personal protection and disinfecting products. The lightweight resealable pack features two pairs of disposable, latex, powder-free gloves, two face masks, anti-bacterial hand sanitiser with aloe vera (50ml), and five disinfecting surface wipes. The kit items are sourced from FDA registered suppliers and are TSA compliant. Newrest Travel Retail has also added a 'Self Protective Kit' (SPK) for retail which integrates design and functionality,
Innovation in the creation and style of face masks is also coming through. United airlines began making masks for employees out of recycled, not-needed uniforms and Londonbased ‘Free Masketeers’ is designing bespoke masks using the leftover fabric from hotel uniforms and NHS scrubs. For every 100 ordered, 20 are donated to charities.To date, over 10,000 masks have gone to charities.
No doubt further initiatives and new creative solutions are also currently in the making.•
Hygiene products for travel retail are increasingly in demand for sale at the airports or inflight to support personal protection