Fiji Airways, Fiji?s National Airline, has outlined its plan for a return to flying once border restrictions ease and travel demand returns.
The programme details the airline?s commitment to safeguarding the health and safety of its customers and staff. It includes the creation of a new onboard role of medically qualified customer wellness champions. This role will manage and maintain wellbeing, customer medical safety and promote wellness through service interactions to passengers and crew onboard and on the ground for every flight on the Fiji Airways international network.
Andre Viljoen, managing director and CEO, Fiji Airways, said: ?Our in-house teams, including our aviation medical advisor Dr. Rounak Lal, have been working closely with health authorities and other stakeholders to get Fiji Airways Travel Ready. We have reviewed all interaction points across the Fiji Airways customer experience, and taken guidance from the WHO, IATA and ICAO to draw up enhanced safeguards for our guests and staff when we resume international flights.?
Facemasks will be mandatory for travel for both Fiji Airways and Fiji Link customers once international flights recommence, and guests are advised to have these prior to arriving at the airport for the issuance of boarding passes.
All customer-facing staff will wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs).
For international customers, some of the measures before flying are: customers holding credits will easily be able to utilise these for future flights on Fiji Airways till December 31, 2021. Spaced out seating and entry limits, customers are advised to have latest information from Fiji Airways website. Unwell customers may be denied boarding at the airport.
At the airport, there will be enhanced health screenings, including temperature checks, physical distancing and spaced out counters, hand sanitiser for all. All checked-in bags will be sanitised before being loaded onto the aircraft, boarding will be done by seat-rows.
Meanwhile, onboard, the in-cabin air in all jet aircraft is filtered and recirculated through extremely efficient High Efficiency Particulate Arrestors(HEPA) filters. Lavatories onboard will be sanitised more frequently inflight, and high-touch surfaces will be sanitised after every flight.
In addition to the introduction of medically qualified Customer Wellness Champions, cabin crew and pilots will be trained specifically for flight operations in a COVID-19 travel world, including handling of medical issues onboard.
Fiji Airways will await approval from authorities in Fiji and its key international markets before announcing international flight schedules. At the present time, international flights remain cancelled through the end of July 2020.
