As we approach the end of the year, it’s important to reflect on how far we’ve come as an industry since the pandemic began. It’s without question that our industry has been one of the hardest hit, but our business has consistently approached every challenge we’ve faced with a proactive approach.
In response to the pandemic, it was crucial that our business reacted immediately, and we quickly introduced robust processes to ensure passengers and our teams were protected and safe.
We also redefined our business by investing in products, new processes and despite the challenges, we’ve been able to expand our cabin cleaning portfolio, adding 23 new accounts. The pandemic also saw us diversify our offering into healthcare by supporting the NHS and providing talented manpower at COVID-19 testing sites with Cignpost Diagnostics
As we look to a new year, we do so with confidence and optimism. We’re excited to see our services back to full capacity.
As well as healthcare support and retail services in shopping centers and airports across the UK, we provide ground handling in most UK airports, including London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Liverpool John Lennon and Manchester and some airlines. We also provide cleaning services to more than 30 other airlines.
Our EnhancedClean program is one of the new programs we introduced in direct response to COVID-19. It safeguards the public with a beyond-normal approach to cleaning and disinfecting in public spaces.
We use the three-step EnhancedClean program on aircrafts and in Glasgow Airport where we use our electrostatic fogging machines which aims to kill germs within two minutes. We’re also carrying out frequent disinfection, using hospital grade disinfectants on high touch points such as aircraft tray tables and door handles. It’s so important that passengers see these measures in place and understand they are here for the foreseeable.
As airline flight schedules were reduced during the pandemic, it meant that a significant amount of ground handling equipment had to be taken out of action and stored away. However, any equipment that remained in service was, and continues to be, part of our rigorous cleaning regime.
As we end the year, with aviation taking to the skies once again, flights restarting and restrictions lifting, we’re thrilled to invest in new ground support equipment and see all our assets back in action.
Each piece of equipment continues to have checks to ensure compliance and goes through a thorough cleaning and disinfecting process using our disinfection fogging system, with a particular focus on high contact areas. This is all part of our EnhancedClean program.
From the very start of the pandemic, we have taken significant steps to proactively mitigate the risks to team members by assessing the risk for each service that we provide. We looked at the operational environments, and then worked with our business partners and customers to implement controls.
It goes without saying that PPE was also a big focus and provided our ground handling team members with the appropriate PPE in line with the tasks that they complete. We also worked with our team members to identify PPE requirements dependent on individual needs, taking into consideration any medical aspects for example, powder free, non-latex gloves and face coverings that clipped directly to glasses.
To adhere to government regulations we introduced work bubbles, as well as staggered shifts and break times while setting limits on the number of people permitted in certain areas to ensure social distancing. These measures meant we were able to protect our people, while still providing and maintaining services.
We introduced Perspex screens and tensor barriers between team members to create a safer working environment, limited area capacities to ensure two-meter social distancing, required team members to wear face coverings and disposable gloves, and installed hand sanitizing stations and one-way systems throughout our workspaces. It was vital for us that our teams felt safe and protected at work.
We continue to within the current guidelines and have improved ventilation in crew facilities and enclosed spaces. We assessed all our buildings and invested in air-cleaners with UV light and high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters where necessary.
We still enforce mask wearing and continue to provide PPE to protect team members. We also carry out weekly lateral flow testing where necessary and these measures will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
Utilizing IT solutions reduced the need for face-to-face contact, so we introduced a management tool which allowed line managers to keep up to date and monitor the health and wellbeing of each team member who worked remotely. We understood that people may have felt isolated during that time, and we needed to ensure all team members had access to communication tools.
There has been so much uncertainty in aviation and throughout the pandemic we have been committed to minimizing impact on our team members. We have explored ways to safeguard jobs and provided opportunities to work in partnership with Cignpost Diagnostics, a UK government-approved COVID-19 testing provider. Our teams carry out COVID-19 fit to fly and lateral flow testing for the public and airport staff, as part of the UK government’s testing and monitoring program.
We supported flights that were converted from passenger to cargo, and we maintained front of house roles to meet the needs of the airlines and airport customers.
We’re now looking forward to a new year where aviation is getting back to full capacity. As we look back, we can see how resilient this industry has been. We have stood up to the challenges that we’ve faced so far, and we will continue to do so with safety always front of mind.
Our focus is building back stronger foundations for the future. As we all enter those airport doors, make our way to the departure gate and take to the skies again we want our teams and the public to feel safe and we want our passengers to enjoy the experience once again.
Antony Marke is a group managing director at ABM Aviation. With more than 20 years senior management experience and a proven track record for developing businesses, increasing productivity and revenues. Professional, calm and diplomatic, he enjoys new challenges and is extremely adept at finding solutions. Enthusiastic and determined, he has consistently exceeded set targets and objectives with strong planning skills, ensuring successful end results.
