Germany’s Hamburg Airport has been recognised for its high level of coronavirus safety measures. With European travellers longing to head away to foreign shores this summer the airport has been awarded the Airport Council International’s (ACI) Airport Health Accreditation Programme certificate – making it the fourth ACI-certified airport in Germany, following the hubs of Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin-Brandenburg.
The certification, which is valid for one year, takes into account diverse factors in all aspects of airport operations including: the possibility for social distancing, cleaning and disinfection, spatial layout and passenger facilities, passenger communications, and the protection of personnel.
“Many people in northern Germany are longing to fly on holiday again or to see their friends and family who live far away,” said Michael Eggenschwiler, CEO of Hamburg Airport. “Business travellers want to meet their partners in person again. Passengers rightly expect a high standard of hygiene and safety measures. At Hamburg Airport, we are doing everything to ensure that passengers feel safe and at ease here. That is why we had our performance reviewed on the basis of independent criteria – successfully. Certification in the ACI Health Accreditation programme confirms that the measures we have put in place are well thought-out and effective, and that they are applied consistently.”
Hamburg Airport has implemented numerous hygiene and protective measures to make travel as safe as possible since the start of the global pandemic. An inter-department Expert Group maintains constant communication to ensure the measures always keep pace with new regulations and developments. Employees in almost every functional role at the airport are represented, bringing with them a broad spectrum of expertise.
Medical masks are mandatory inside the terminals and on-board aircraft. Self-service kiosks throughout the terminal have masks, disinfectant wipes and gels available to purchase. Perspex panes, hand disinfectant dispensers, floor markings an display monitors help people comply with the now familiar hygiene rules while at the airport. Additional cleaning teams have also been deployed. Airlines offer ‘non-contact’ check-in facilities as well as self-bag drops.
Passengers as well as the general public are able to undertake a coronavirus test at the airport from service providers, Centogene and EcoCare.Both PCR tests and rapid antigen tests are available, subject to charges.
