Protection gears, social distancing mandatory onboard
The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) is rolling out and circulated a guideline to all or any air operators, taking suggestions from WHO and IATA into account, so as to support industry stakeholders in protecting against spread of coronavirus on commercial aircraft.
The objective of the directive is to supply necessary guidelines for air operators in the united states to ensure a satisfactory degree of safety is maintained all the time by following infection prevention and control measures through cleaning and disinfection programmes as well as social distancing.
Guidelines for check-in
In the rules, CAAB states that passengers will be queued with standard distancing gap at the check-in counter. Moreover, all staff at check-in counter shall wear standard masks, gloves and disposable caps while attending passengers. Airlines must provide satisfactory alcohol-based hand sanitisers, masks, gloves and tissues for the bottom staff for personal use. Passengers shall be allowed to carry small hand sanitiser bottle (max 100 ml) within their carry-on baggage. Hand sanitisers, masks and gloves (optional) shall be provided to each pax along with necessary briefing during check-in.
Body temperature of each passenger by non-contact infrared thermometer shall be completed and check-in will be denied if temperature above 99 degree Fahrenheit is observed.
Also, all passengers are to sign a declaration form, for airlines to learn about the passenger's health condition, before check-in. If the response to the questions regarding having fever and cough, or fever and breathing difficulty, or being refused boarding during the past 14 days because of medical reason related to COVID-19 is yes a denial of check-in must be applied. The airlines are to keep the record for at least 2 weeks.
Suspected passengers should be assisted carefully by concern security and airport health authority to the pre-selected quarantine area demarcated by the airport authority.
Guidelines for onboard safety
In the directive, CAAB further said that allocation of seats in the aircraft will be done remember the segregation process (min 25pc seat vacant) in order that social distance is maintained. "Continue to keep at least one seat gap if the passengers aren't from the same family and last or first one row of the seat vacant for just about any suspected passenger," the directive added.
During pre-boarding or boarding time, max 2 rows from the trunk shall be passengers will be called and allowed to board at the same time rather than bulk boarding.
Operators shall make certain that passengers are sitting at least 1 meter apart from each other in the passenger carrying bus. Cross-tape can be utilized on the seat of the bus to make sure satisfactory separation between passengers. The bus will be disinfected every time after carrying passengers to the aircraft.
At least two PPEs and two universal precaution kit (UPK) will be carried on a regular basis in the aircraft for suspected passengers or for the consumption of crew members to protect them who are assisting potentially infectious cases of COVID-19.
For long haul (over four hours) flights, in-flight measurement of body temperature during operation should be taken at least after each 2-3 hours. In the event of ill passengers being found with symptoms including fever add up to or higher 99 degree Fahrenheit, fatigue or cough, the occurrence should be handled in compliance with the handling measures of in-flight emergencies and the crew should timely communicate with destination airports, and give the ill passengers after landing in cooperation with local health authorities.
The flight crew of an aircraft shall, after identifying a suspected case of communicable disease, or other public health risk, up to speed the aircraft, promptly notify the ATS unit with which the pilot is communicating.
Besides these, CAAB further provided guidelines for layover, routine cleaning and preventative disinfection of aircraft, crew member's quarantine management and infection control linked to aircraft, among others, in the directive.
All operators are to prepare their own guidance and procedure manual in mention of this directive and get approval of CAAB.
