News Qatar Airways is taking firm steps to respond to Covid-19

Qatar Airways continues to take firm steps in response to Covid-19. The airline’s robust measures include amending its flight schedule, working with governments to take people home and introducing new policies to ensure the health and safety of staff and maintaining its vital cargo operations.

In addition, the airline continues to support the State of Qatar’s efforts to manage the coronavirus outbreak and has acquired and transported 500,000 test kits, which will arrive in Doha to be donated to local health services.

Qatar Airways continues to temporarily hold flights to severely affected countries due to entry restrictions implemented by many governments to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The airline will place a temporary hold on flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport, Madrid Barajas Airport and Barcelona El Prat Airport, with the intention to reinstate flights in line with a return to regular conditions.

The airline is also offering maximum flexibility to passengers in terms of managing their travel plans. Passengers that have booked or are planning to book tickets for travel up to 30 September can alter their travel date free of charge, exchange their ticket for a future travel voucher valid for one year or get a refund. For more details visit qatarairways. c om/ e n/ t r avel- withconfidence.html

Qatar Airways has implemented robust policies to ensure the health and safety of its passengers and employees. Cabin crew have received training on how to minimise their chances of contracting or spreading the infection, are thermally screened before the departure of flights and after their arrival and are quarantined and tested if any colleagues or passengers on a flight shows any symptoms of infection or test positive for the virus. As the current pandemic has escalated, cabin crew have been authorised to wear surgical masks and disposable gloves.

In addition, Qatar Airways has revised its distribution of cabin crew on flights, sending two groups on short-haul and medium-haul flights – the first to manage the outbound trip, the second to manage the inbound trip. For long-haul flights, crew members who have to stay overnight in a foreign city can only travel in Qatar Airways-approved transport and must remain in their rooms, limiting human interactions.

In terms of passengers, Qatar Airways is encouraging social distancing where possible, especially on flights with lighter loads. Distancing is also implemented during the boarding process ensuring passengers are allocated seats far apart from each other. The airline is also encouraging passengers to follow hygiene practices recommended by the World Health Organisation, such as regular hand washing and refraining from touching the face.

As an airline, Qatar Airways maintains the highest possible hygiene standards, which include the regular disinfection of aircraft, the use of cleaning products recommended by the International Air Transport Association and WHO.

Qatar Airways’ aircraft feature the most advanced air filtration systems, equipped with industrial-size Hepa filters that remove 99.97% of viral and bacterial contaminants from re-circulated air, providing the most effective protection against infection. All the airline’s onboard linen and blankets are washed, dried and pressed at microbial lethal temperatures and then sealed into individual packaging by staff wearing disposable gloves.