Airport Alert: Interagency Group Issues Framework/Recommendations for Airports, Airlines to Mitigate COVID Risks
July 2, 2020
A U.S. Government interagency group today issued "Runway to Recovery: The United States Framework for Airlines and Airports to Mitigate the Public Health Risks of Coronavirus," a guidance document developed jointly by the U.S. Departments of Transportation, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services. The document provides the U.S. Government's guidance to airports and airlines for implementing measures to mitigate the public health risks associated with COVID-19, prepare for increased travel volume, and ensure that aviation safety and security are not compromised. It is intended to provide a level of consistent measures across the aviation system to reduce public health risks and restore passenger confidence in air travel.
In the document, the U.S. Government identifies 11 measures (see list below) that airports and airlines should implement across all operations and all phases of travel to, from, and within the United States along with a roadmap explaining how those measures should be adapted to the unique air travel environment. The document recognizes the substantial public health risk mitigation measures that many airports and air carriers have already implemented. However, in order to introduce more consistency throughout the air travel system and enhance confidence, the document recommends "the measures be implemented as soon as possible, insomuch as such types of measures are not already in place." But, except as related to contact tracing, the interagency report does not contain any Federal requirements, and government officials who briefed AAAE and other groups on the document stated that it is guidance only. Officials also noted that the U.S. Government may provide additional guidance that augments or modifies these 11 measures as lessons are learned or risk conditions change.
A broad array of aviation, aerospace, and travel industry groups have coalesced around the report as a means of showcasing continued efforts between government and industry to protect public health and restore public confidence in air travel. The groups, including AAAE, plan to continue working collaboratively to highlight the proactive work being done by all segments of the industry in partnership with the government to protect travelers at all stages of travel.
In a statement today, AAAE President & CEO Todd Hauptli said:
"The framework released today builds upon the important work that airports, airlines, and our federal government partners have undertaken in recent months to protect the health and safety of passengers as they return to airport facilities and take to the skies. While many of the recommendations in the report are already being implemented in airports across the country - including enhanced cleaning and sanitization, social distancing, and minimizing in-person interaction and touch-points - uniform guidance from the federal government will be helpful in driving further enhancements and in building consistency for passengers.
"To be clear, the document isn't perfect and some of the recommendations will be difficult for airports to implement absent federal requirements and resources, but it is an important step in the right direction during these unprecedented times. As they return to airports, the traveling public can feel confident in knowing that industry and the government are working continuously to enhance the health and safety of the travel journey."
For several months, AAAE has been calling for clear and consistent guidelines, based on public health and medical expertise, on how best to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. In testimony to the Senate Commerce Committee in May, Hauptli stated "Our goal is simple: we need to take steps now to assure the traveling public that: 1) industry and government are committed to providing the highest levels of health and safety for air travelers and aviation workers; and 2) there are consistent processes and procedures throughout the aviation system so passengers know what to expect regardless of the airline or airport they happen to choose for their travel."
Of note, the interagency report recommends (but does not require) facial coverings in the airport environment. Absent a federal mandate, airports will likely continue to follow a patchwork of state and local requirements regarding facial coverings. The report similarly acknowledges that there may not be a consistent approach on the issue of temperature checking. At a press conference on Tuesday, TSA Administrator David Pekoske acknowledged that the federal government is discussing temperature checks but raised a number of operational and policy-related questions and concerns about doing so.
Overall, the guidance released today professes to take a risk-based and multi-layered approach to COVID-19 mitigation. The report states, "A multi-layered approach is vital to minimizing the spread of COVID-19 in the air transportation system. No single mitigation alone is adequate, but together, these recommendations offer an effective risk reduction approach." The multi-layered approach is specifically stressed in regard to physical distancing as the U.S. Government recognizes that physical distance cannot always be maintained in certain areas of the airport or airplane cabin. As a result, the report states that airports and airlines must inform passengers it may not be possible to meet social distancing expectations and emphasize the additional importance of observing all the other preventive measures, including strict hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and wearing a face mask or cloth face covering.
The 11 specific measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and promote healthy travel, as well as recommended airport actions, are:
Educate and communicate with passengers and employees: The report encourages airports to communicate with passengers and employees prior to arrival at the airport in order to discourage symptomatic or ill passengers, crew, or airport workers from coming to the airport and to provide passengers with information on what to expect, such as local conditions and travel restrictions, via as many communications channels as possible.
Require appropriate face coverings: Airports should require everyone wear a mask or face covering correctly unless they meet certain exceptions (e.g. age, health condition). This is particularly necessary in shared spaces and any time social distancing cannot be maintained. Airports should have masks or face coverings available for passengers and aviation workers who may arrive without one or require a replacement.
Promote social distancing to the extent possible: Airports should use floor markings, blocked seating, and other measures in any shared spaces to assist people in staying socially distanced. This recommendation also applies to any third-party vendors operating at the airport such as concessionaires or lounge providers. Strategies to allow for social distancing should also be employed for passenger transports used within the airport (e.g. trains, buses, etc.). Airports should inform passengers when it may not be possible to meet social distancing expectations in their facility.
Enhance cleaning and disinfection procedures: Airports should require all areas with potential for human contact and transmission be disinfected per defined schedules as recommended by CDC and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Special attention should be given to increasing the frequency of cleaning high-touch surfaces like door handles, arm rests, elevator buttons, escalator/stair handrails, and kiosks. Additionally, hand sanitizer stations and disinfecting wipes should be provided at kiosks and other common areas passengers are expected to touch frequently.
Conduct health assessment for passengers and employees: The report recommends that airlines ask passengers to complete a heath attestation before flying to reinforce the expectation that passengers will not travel when ill or at a higher risk of developing and/or spreading COVID-19. The report does not recommend temperature screening but acknowledges that some airports or airlines may decide to do so as part of a multi-layered approach to identify potentially sick passengers. If conducted, pre-travel temperature screening of passengers should be done in accordance with the protocols of the relevant health authorities and should not create significant passenger flow delays or crowding, which can create additional exposure risks, the report states. The screening should include the passenger health attestation and may include visual observations conducted by trained staff. If conducted, temperature screening could occur upon arrival at the airport (airport entry), at the airline check-in location, or before or after entering the "sterile" gate areas. Any temperature screening of passengers arriving from international locations must be conducted after the CBP inspection process is complete and not interfere with CBP's standard operating procedures. The guidance further states that "if an airport, airline, or other authority makes the decision that it will bar those with temperatures over a certain threshold from flying, the policy should be transparent, posted in advance, and all passengers should be directly notified of the policy before making a decision on whether they will attempt to fly or not."
Collect passenger contact information for public health response purposes: This recommendation relates to contact tracing and is applicable to airlines, not airports.
Protect employees and separate passengers and crew: Airports should minimize contact between aircrews/aviation workers and passengers to the maximum extent practicable, consistent with their job requirements. Additionally, aircrews and aviation workers should be expedited through shared screening areas as applicable to their job requirements. Providing separate on-airport transport options should also be considered. Mask or cloth face covering use should be required, especially when maintaining the recommended six feet between persons for social distancing is not possible.
Minimize in-person interaction touch points and shared objects, documents, and surfaces:
Airports are encouraged to enable contactless, electronic document exchanges wherever possible. When passengers must consult with aviation workers, barriers should be installed to maintain social distance and workers should wear face coverings and gloves when touching passenger documents and/or money or credit cards.
Report daily status of public health risk mitigation efforts among stakeholders: Designated airport personnel should consider completing and submitting a daily report of activities, issues, and potential hazards at the airport, such as personal protective equipment (PPE) breaches, shortages of cleaning materials, and incidents on passenger and aviation worker, and concession/contractor non-compliance with policies and requirements. These reports should be shared with airport stakeholders, including airlines, and, when applicable, also list best practices and recommended actions for airport leadership to consider.
Enhance airport security checkpoint operations: Airport support of new TSA procedural changes at security checkpoints and checked baggage locations, as well as sanitization and technology changes, is "crucial" to reduce exposure of passenger and Transportation Security Officers to the virus while maintaining security effectiveness. Specifically, airports should assist in the overseeing of barrier shield installations and creation of physical separation mechanisms (i.e. placing of metal search tables between passenger and Explosive Trace Detection tables), the placement of signage as necessary, and with the adoption of new TSA technology designed to minimize screening touch points. Also, airport personnel could help direct traffic and respectfully enforce distancing as practicable in lines leading up to the security checkpoint.
Utilize government technology programs: Recommendations include increased adoption of biometrics and encourage passengers to use CBP's Global Entry program.
This guidance aligns with international recommended measures, which the United States helped to develop at ICAO. The ICAO's Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) report was released in May.
A U.S. Government interagency group today issued "Runway to Recovery: The United States Framework for Airlines and Airports to Mitigate the Public Health Risks of Coronavirus," a guidance document developed jointly by the U.S. Departments of Transportation, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services. The document provides the U.S. Government's guidance to airports and airlines for implementing measures to mitigate the public health risks associated with COVID-19, prepare for increased travel volume, and ensure that aviation safety and security are not compromised. It is intended to provide a level of consistent measures across the aviation system to reduce public health risks and restore passenger confidence in air travel.
In the document, the U.S. Government identifies 11 measures (see list below) that airports and airlines should implement across all operations and all phases of travel to, from, and within the United States along with a roadmap explaining how those measures should be adapted to the unique air travel environment. The document recognizes the substantial public health risk mitigation measures that many airports and air carriers have already implemented. However, in order to introduce more consistency throughout the air travel system and enhance confidence, the document recommends "the measures be implemented as soon as possible, insomuch as such types of measures are not already in place." But, except as related to contact tracing, the interagency report does not contain any Federal requirements, and government officials who briefed AAAE and other groups on the document stated that it is guidance only. Officials also noted that the U.S. Government may provide additional guidance that augments or modifies these 11 measures as lessons are learned or risk conditions change.
A broad array of aviation, aerospace, and travel industry groups have coalesced around the report as a means of showcasing continued efforts between government and industry to protect public health and restore public confidence in air travel. The groups, including AAAE, plan to continue working collaboratively to highlight the proactive work being done by all segments of the industry in partnership with the government to protect travelers at all stages of travel.
In a statement today, AAAE President & CEO Todd Hauptli said:
"The framework released today builds upon the important work that airports, airlines, and our federal government partners have undertaken in recent months to protect the health and safety of passengers as they return to airport facilities and take to the skies. While many of the recommendations in the report are already being implemented in airports across the country - including enhanced cleaning and sanitization, social distancing, and minimizing in-person interaction and touch-points - uniform guidance from the federal government will be helpful in driving further enhancements and in building consistency for passengers.
"To be clear, the document isn't perfect and some of the recommendations will be difficult for airports to implement absent federal requirements and resources, but it is an important step in the right direction during these unprecedented times. As they return to airports, the traveling public can feel confident in knowing that industry and the government are working continuously to enhance the health and safety of the travel journey."
For several months, AAAE has been calling for clear and consistent guidelines, based on public health and medical expertise, on how best to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. In testimony to the Senate Commerce Committee in May, Hauptli stated "Our goal is simple: we need to take steps now to assure the traveling public that: 1) industry and government are committed to providing the highest levels of health and safety for air travelers and aviation workers; and 2) there are consistent processes and procedures throughout the aviation system so passengers know what to expect regardless of the airline or airport they happen to choose for their travel."
Of note, the interagency report recommends (but does not require) facial coverings in the airport environment. Absent a federal mandate, airports will likely continue to follow a patchwork of state and local requirements regarding facial coverings. The report similarly acknowledges that there may not be a consistent approach on the issue of temperature checking. At a press conference on Tuesday, TSA Administrator David Pekoske acknowledged that the federal government is discussing temperature checks but raised a number of operational and policy-related questions and concerns about doing so.
Overall, the guidance released today professes to take a risk-based and multi-layered approach to COVID-19 mitigation. The report states, "A multi-layered approach is vital to minimizing the spread of COVID-19 in the air transportation system. No single mitigation alone is adequate, but together, these recommendations offer an effective risk reduction approach." The multi-layered approach is specifically stressed in regard to physical distancing as the U.S. Government recognizes that physical distance cannot always be maintained in certain areas of the airport or airplane cabin. As a result, the report states that airports and airlines must inform passengers it may not be possible to meet social distancing expectations and emphasize the additional importance of observing all the other preventive measures, including strict hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and wearing a face mask or cloth face covering.
The 11 specific measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and promote healthy travel, as well as recommended airport actions, are:
Educate and communicate with passengers and employees: The report encourages airports to communicate with passengers and employees prior to arrival at the airport in order to discourage symptomatic or ill passengers, crew, or airport workers from coming to the airport and to provide passengers with information on what to expect, such as local conditions and travel restrictions, via as many communications channels as possible.
Require appropriate face coverings: Airports should require everyone wear a mask or face covering correctly unless they meet certain exceptions (e.g. age, health condition). This is particularly necessary in shared spaces and any time social distancing cannot be maintained. Airports should have masks or face coverings available for passengers and aviation workers who may arrive without one or require a replacement.
Promote social distancing to the extent possible: Airports should use floor markings, blocked seating, and other measures in any shared spaces to assist people in staying socially distanced. This recommendation also applies to any third-party vendors operating at the airport such as concessionaires or lounge providers. Strategies to allow for social distancing should also be employed for passenger transports used within the airport (e.g. trains, buses, etc.). Airports should inform passengers when it may not be possible to meet social distancing expectations in their facility.
Enhance cleaning and disinfection procedures: Airports should require all areas with potential for human contact and transmission be disinfected per defined schedules as recommended by CDC and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Special attention should be given to increasing the frequency of cleaning high-touch surfaces like door handles, arm rests, elevator buttons, escalator/stair handrails, and kiosks. Additionally, hand sanitizer stations and disinfecting wipes should be provided at kiosks and other common areas passengers are expected to touch frequently.
Conduct health assessment for passengers and employees: The report recommends that airlines ask passengers to complete a heath attestation before flying to reinforce the expectation that passengers will not travel when ill or at a higher risk of developing and/or spreading COVID-19. The report does not recommend temperature screening but acknowledges that some airports or airlines may decide to do so as part of a multi-layered approach to identify potentially sick passengers. If conducted, pre-travel temperature screening of passengers should be done in accordance with the protocols of the relevant health authorities and should not create significant passenger flow delays or crowding, which can create additional exposure risks, the report states. The screening should include the passenger health attestation and may include visual observations conducted by trained staff. If conducted, temperature screening could occur upon arrival at the airport (airport entry), at the airline check-in location, or before or after entering the "sterile" gate areas. Any temperature screening of passengers arriving from international locations must be conducted after the CBP inspection process is complete and not interfere with CBP's standard operating procedures. The guidance further states that "if an airport, airline, or other authority makes the decision that it will bar those with temperatures over a certain threshold from flying, the policy should be transparent, posted in advance, and all passengers should be directly notified of the policy before making a decision on whether they will attempt to fly or not."
Collect passenger contact information for public health response purposes: This recommendation relates to contact tracing and is applicable to airlines, not airports.
Protect employees and separate passengers and crew: Airports should minimize contact between aircrews/aviation workers and passengers to the maximum extent practicable, consistent with their job requirements. Additionally, aircrews and aviation workers should be expedited through shared screening areas as applicable to their job requirements. Providing separate on-airport transport options should also be considered. Mask or cloth face covering use should be required, especially when maintaining the recommended six feet between persons for social distancing is not possible.
Minimize in-person interaction touch points and shared objects, documents, and surfaces:
Airports are encouraged to enable contactless, electronic document exchanges wherever possible. When passengers must consult with aviation workers, barriers should be installed to maintain social distance and workers should wear face coverings and gloves when touching passenger documents and/or money or credit cards.
Report daily status of public health risk mitigation efforts among stakeholders: Designated airport personnel should consider completing and submitting a daily report of activities, issues, and potential hazards at the airport, such as personal protective equipment (PPE) breaches, shortages of cleaning materials, and incidents on passenger and aviation worker, and concession/contractor non-compliance with policies and requirements. These reports should be shared with airport stakeholders, including airlines, and, when applicable, also list best practices and recommended actions for airport leadership to consider.
Enhance airport security checkpoint operations: Airport support of new TSA procedural changes at security checkpoints and checked baggage locations, as well as sanitization and technology changes, is "crucial" to reduce exposure of passenger and Transportation Security Officers to the virus while maintaining security effectiveness. Specifically, airports should assist in the overseeing of barrier shield installations and creation of physical separation mechanisms (i.e. placing of metal search tables between passenger and Explosive Trace Detection tables), the placement of signage as necessary, and with the adoption of new TSA technology designed to minimize screening touch points. Also, airport personnel could help direct traffic and respectfully enforce distancing as practicable in lines leading up to the security checkpoint.
Utilize government technology programs: Recommendations include increased adoption of biometrics and encourage passengers to use CBP's Global Entry program.
This guidance aligns with international recommended measures, which the United States helped to develop at ICAO. The ICAO's Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) report was released in May.
