Passur to help airlines tackle virus disruption
STAMFORD — Aviation-services firm Passur Aerospace announced Wednesday that it had developed a global portal to assist the airline industry in managing the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stamford-based Passur said it created the ITOP Global Contingency
Portal in response to a request from the International Air Transport Association. Modeled on the existing IATA Tactical Operations Portal created and maintained by Passur,
the new service intends to notify aviation professionals around the world about news and developments related to COVID-19.
“We are honored to be in a position to support our industry at this very challenging time,” Passur CEO Brian Cook said in a statement. “ITOP reminds us all of the power of collaboration, information sharing and common operational awareness across regions, time zones, cultures and organizations — the industry’s most critical problems can only be addressed when we work together.”
Passur and IATA said they are providing access to the system at no charge to “all qualified industry stakeholders,” including IATA members and non-members.
More than 1,700 registered users — who represent 202 airlines, 59 airport operators and 18 air traffic control organizations — are using the system today, according to Passur and IATA.
Registered users can receive alerts ranked by severity and priority and also have access to the GCP web site, according to Passur officials. Information covered in the system includes coronavirus-related airport closings, airspace restrictions, international and domestic passenger admittance and screening rules, and national travel restrictions.
Additional information on how to access the GCP is being distributed through “established industry trade group channels,” according to Passur and IATA.
Air travel has plummeted in the past month as the novel coronavirus has spread around the world. Only 146,348 people passed through U.S. Transportation Safety Administration checkpoints on Tuesday, compared with approximately 2 million on March 31, 2019.