Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, Azerbaijan is the fifth airport worldwide to be Certified with the highest 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating by international air transport rating agency Skytrax.
Report informs, citing the airport, this is a top recognition of the effectiveness of COVID-19 measures introduced at Heydar Aliyev International Airport to protect their customers and staff against the spread of coronavirus.
The Skytrax COVID-19 Rating is the world's only assessment and certification of airport health and safety measures during the coronavirus pandemic that is based on professional and scientific investigation.
The COVID-19 audit was conducted in March 2021, evaluating over 175 safety protocols introduced by Heydar Aliyev International Airport during COVID-19 to enhance customer and staff safety. The audit includes an assessment of the airport's implementation of health, hygiene and safety measures in accordance with the recommendations of the ICAO Council's Aviation Recovery Task Force and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) Aviation Health Safety Protocol.
Mr. Jahangir Askerov, President of Azal, said: "Health and Safety of passengers and civil aviation staff is always our highest priority. Due to timely and preventive measures taken, including at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, we were able to create the appropriate infrastructure and restore operations of the airport terminal in the shortest possible time. I thank Skytrax for the airport safety rating and high assessment of the work we have done".
The COVID-19 audit evaluates front-line airport facilities and service to determine how effectively and consistently COVID-19 procedures are being provided – items including terminal cleanliness and cleaning procedures, the standard and use consistency of staff personal protective equipment, branding and quality of social distancing signage, floor markers and seat distancing, hand sanitizer facilities, food & beverage cleanliness, security screening hygiene systems, and staff control of social distancing and face mask usage.
Chief Executive of Skytrax Mr. Edward Plaisted said: "This highest COVID-19 Safety Rating for Heydar Aliyev International Airport provides strong assurance to their customers of a safe travel experience, which is essential to restoring confidence in air travel. With all of the improvements introduced by the airport, they are now providing the highest standards of hygiene and safety across the airport experience. Heydar Aliyev International Airport is providing a very well-balanced portfolio of safety practices to reduce the risks related to the spread of COVID-19, and we congratulate them for achieving such a high standard of implementation and control."
COVID-19 Airport Safety Ratings place high importance on the implementation of face mask regulations and monitoring of social distance adherence amongst staff and customers and how an airport applies these measures. Airport cleaning efficiency includes evaluation of cleaning systems and equipment, cleaning staff numbers, and if sanitization is regularly validated using ATP testing.
Heydar Aliyev International Airport maintains stringent cleaning procedures in line with international standards. The airport continues to implement a 2m physical distancing across all passenger touchpoints around the airport.