Regional Gateway editor Chloë Greenbank summarises the latest happenings across airports serving business, regional and low-fare routes.
This week has brought some welcome news with airports in China’s Hubei Province – the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak – starting to reopen for passenger services amid the news that no new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the province for almost a week.
One of the measures regional hubs across Hubei have introduced to help monitor and prevent the further spread of the virus is thermal imaging. It’s being used to detect signs of fever among passengers in departures and arrivals halls. Staff are also being provided with masks, gloves and isolation rooms to further test suspected virus victims.
It’s a similar story at other airports around the world. In Pakistan, international passengers must provide a copy of their coronavirus test results 24 hours prior to boarding a flight landing at any of its airports.
However, in the UK it’s a different scenario. Despite a nationwide lockdown, passengers arriving at the country’s air transport hubs from abroad are not subjected to any temperature checks or additional measures.
According to the Department of Health, the temperature checks hold little or no clinical value and will not be introduced at UK airports – a decision that’s supported by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.
It’s been a testing week for many airports in the UK as they are having to temporarily close their doors due to a significant decline in passenger demand and airlines subsequently grounding their fleets. And in the West Midlands, Birmingham Airport is working with local authorities to convert one of its aircraft hangars into a temporary morgue for victims of COVID-19.
For East Midlands Airport, however, it’s a different narrative altogether. The airport has established itself as a gateway for essential goods during these unprecedented times. As the UK’s largest dedicated air cargo operations airport it continues to operate 60% of its scheduled flights. Employees at the airport are working hard alongside logistics giants such as DHL, UPS and FedEx to ensure that critical supplies such as face masks, hospital equipment and other medical supplies can be transported to and from the country as efficiently as possible.
There are no winners in this scenario, but it’s important that we continue to share the positive stories and remember that these grim times will end. As a former colleague told me this week, what we need is solutions, belief, courage and hope.
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