COVID-19: Turkish Airlines Adopts Safety Measures

COVID-19: Turkish Airlines Adopts Safety Measures

By Chinedu Eze

Turkish Airlines has announced new measures to minimise the effects and spread of COVID 19.

The airline said in a statement that in line with the guidelines of both local and international civil aviation authorities, all Turkish Airlines planes are to be disinfected with substances approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and aircraft manufacturers.

It said all surfaces passengers come in contact with must go through extensive cleaning processes by a dedicated special hygiene team.

“We have taken extra measures since the beginning of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic to minimise both its effects and spreading.

“Our foremost priority being the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew members”, a statement on the airline’s Website reads.

“At the point of passenger boarding, crew members monitor passengers while welcoming them on board and throughout the flight. In the case of a passenger showing symptoms of the disease, the passenger in question undergoes a medical check with the directives of the host country’s health authority,” the statement added.

According to the statement, during flights, “the cabin air is repetitively purified with hospital-grade High-efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters.
“The filtration system constantly disinfects the air of any harmful substance in the air during flights. All passengers are also required to complete the passenger self-reporting form distributed by the Federal Ministry of Health,” the airline added.

It noted that items such as forks, spoons, glasses and plates used during meals, are also disinfected asides the regular washing routine.

“All fabrics and devices used onboard go through an extensive cleaning process and are replaced with fresh sets for each flight.
“Since the epidemic, the airline has increased the number of facemasks, disposable gloves, sanitisers, and other disinfectants on its fleet of aircraft,” it added.

The statement also revealed that the airline prioritises travel safety and was committed to working with local and international authorities to contain the spread of the virus.

The statement added: “As the airline that always puts the travel security at the forefront, Turkish Airlines will continue to monitor the latest developments on the situation with the national and international health authorities and take appropriate precautions.

“As the World Health Organisation declared the potential risk of the virus, we have been acting per the recommendations and instructions of the World Health Organisation, IATA, and related national and international authorities since the first week of January 2020,” the Istanbul-based mega carrier said.

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