Istanbul airport is ready with measures against the COVID-19 pandemic in all areas from airport access to boarding gates for a healthy and safe travel experience at Istanbul Airport.
The pandemic has confronted the aviation industry with an unprecedented scenario. Istanbul Airport has suspended its services apart from repatriation and cargo flights. Restarting aviation while observing strict measures to curb the spread of the virus is now the first priority of all stakeholders. Domestic flights at Istanbul Airport resume at an ever-increasing frequency from June 1. Also, Turkey plans a gradual resumption of international flights to 40 countries from June 10.
Istanbul Airport?s spacious terminal allows passengers to implement strict social distancing measures. Only passengers with a valid ticket are allowed into the airport, and from the public transport to the airport through entrances, check-in, elevators, security, food-courts, duty-free areas and boarding gates, the necessary distance between passengers are ensured at all times. Thermal screening cameras are used to monitor body temperatures and thus identify cases of fever.
Istanbul Airport has marked all areas according to social distancing guidelines. A dedicated iGA Hygiene Team formed for COVID-19 makes conformity controls. The new high-tech smart screening helmet has thermo-scan sensors which provide information about the temperature of passengers and staff in the terminal. ?Social distancing? footprint stickers are applied to the floors of all areas, which people may come across from the moment they arrive at the airport until they leave the airport at their point of destination.
Passengers will have to fill out passenger information forms and provide their destination address to the airlines to trace possible infection cases and notify anyone they might have come into contact with. Incoming flights from regions with higher case numbers will be routed to designated areas. All incoming international passengers will be submitted to a PCR test before being allowed to enter Turkey. Currently, the testing capacity is approximately 20,000 tests per day. Istanbul Airport has quarantine rooms, equipped with state-of-the-art medical appliances in case of emergencies.
Istanbul Airport has made another achievement by qualifying for the ?LEED Gold? certificate. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has officially registered Istanbul Airport?s terminal building as the largest LEED-certified building worldwide.
Image Credit: Jorge Franganillo / Flickr
