Aberdeen and Glasgow airports best practice praised following Covid-safety audit

Aberdeen International and Glasgow airports have been praised for their high safety standards following an international Covid-secure audit scheme introduced to give passengers confidence in flying as the safe restart of international travel continues.

Launched by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the voluntary scheme was introduced following a recommendation from the UK Government’s Global Travel Task Force.

The safety measures and procedures put in place at the beginning of the pandemic in both Aberdeen and Glasgow were measured alongside many of the world’s leading airports.

Both airports invested significantly early in the pandemic to introduce a series of safety measures to reassure staff and passengers during the biggest health crisis in a generation. 

The health and safety measures were audited and deemed best practice by the Council Aviation Recovery Task Force Covid-secure guidance set out by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

The audits consisted of three phases – a self-assessment, an evidence-based review and a physical visit to each airport conducted by the CAA and scientists from both Public Health England and Scotland bodies.

Mark Johnston, chief operating officer at AGS Airports Ltd, which owns Aberdeen and Glasgow airports, said: “Our airports remained open throughout the pandemic and played an important role in supporting the national effort during the last 18 months.

“They supported lifeline routes to the islands, ensured PPE cargo arrived safely, helped maintain critical connectivity for key workers in sectors such as oil and gas and provided facilities for Covid-19 testing centres. 

“We are really pleased with the positive feedback we received from the audit teams who visited both our airports recently. As a Group we acted quickly during the pandemic to ensure that our passengers and people felt safe at all times and the measures in place will continue to support this as air travel slowly opens up and more people choose to fly. 

“A lot of credit must go to our operational staff who work incredibly hard to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone who passes through or works within our terminals.”

Enhanced health measures introduced last year at Aberdeen International and Glasgow airports, included:

• The use of electrostatic fogging machines which disinfect surfaces within two minutes.
• Passenger touchpoints, including security trays, are being treated with an antimicrobial product which kills germs and lasts for up to 30 days on surfaces. It has been tested to be more than 99.99% effective against COVID-19. 
• Self-cleaning stations for trollies have been set-up in baggage halls and hand sanitiser dispensers have been installed throughout the terminals.
• Floor markers are in place across the terminals to help passengers physically distance where it is possible to do so.
• Staff have received training on how to protect customers and colleagues against COVID-19.
• Clear signage is in place advising of the measures.