Corvera Airport Murcia has received further recognition as an internationally certified “safe airport”. Earlier this year, the airport was honoured with a coveted Airport Service Quality award for adopting the best COVID-19 hygiene measures.
Now, it has been granted Airport Health Accreditation by the Airports Council International, in recognition of its commitment to the health and safety of passengers and employees.
The AHA program provides airports with an assessment of how aligned their health measures are with ACI Aviation Business Restart and Recovery guidelines and ICAO Council Aviation Restart Task Force recommendations – as well as industry best practices.
Corvera Airport Murcia (officially known as the Aeropuerto Internacional Región de Murcia) is one of 11 airports operated by Aena to be added to the certification list this month, bringing to 30 the total around the country.
Aena launched a nationwide Operational Recovery Plan in April 2020 with the main objective of adapting its airport infrastructures to measures recommended by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. This included reinforcing cleaning, disinfection and ventilation in terminals, and installing screens, signage, gel dispensers and contactless elements throughout airports.
Specific measures at Corvera Airport Murcia include automatic hydroalcoholic gel dispensers and other “contactless” items such as taps and soap dispensers in toilets, and bins (with lids) for gloves and masks. Hand dryers with HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters have also been installed.
Mariano Menor, general manager of the concessionaire company that operates Corvera Airport Murcia, said the AHA certification “recognises the work that has been carried out over months to ensure that the airport is a safe place for passengers”. He reiterated the airport’s ongoing commitment to guaranteeing safe and sustainable tourism and transport connectivity in the Murcia region.
According to the ACI, Airport Health Accreditation provides airports and their users with several benefits. It…
- Enables airports to demonstrate to passengers, staff, regulators and governments that they are prioritising health and safety in a measurable and established manner.
- Enables airports to validate their own measures throughout their facilities and processes.
- Reassures the travelling public using the airport’s facilities.
- Promotes the recognition of professional excellence in maintaining safe hygienic facilities.
- Promotes best practices and aligns efforts across the industry.
- Ensures harmonisation between ICAO global guidance and industry implementation.
In a press statement announcing the list of newly certified airports, Aena said the ECDP’s “Guidelines for COVID-19 Testing and Quarantine of Air Travellers” note that air transport has shown a low prevalence of coronavirus, less than one per cent of detected cases, and no increase in infection rates.