Quito Airport obtains the Airport Health Accreditation
Quito International Airport obtained the Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) granted by the Airports Council International (ACI). The ACI Airport Health Accreditation is based on the recommendations of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to establish common sanitary measures and is aligned with the best practices of ACI, as well as with the safety protocol of aviation developed by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
According to ACI, the objective of this accreditation is to demonstrate to passengers, airport employees, strategic partners and authorities the actions that the certified airport has taken to prioritize health and safety.
“Quiport has worked diligently in the development of protocols and sanitary prevention measures for the Quito International Airport, and when we learned about the ACI accreditation program, we immediately applied. We believe that it is essential to enact sanitary measures common to the industry to guarantee the safety of our passengers, airport personnel and the society as a whole”, commented Andrew O’Brian, President and CEO of Quiport.
Accreditation is voluntary. The first step is for the airport operator to submit a detailed questionnaire that covers all aspects of the sanitary measures applied at the airport, collecting supporting material as evidence of the measures taken, such as operating procedures, forms, photographs and videos.
ACI then evaluates all the information provided and if it meets the parameters of the program, the airport obtains the accreditation, which will be valid for one year. During this period, airports are required to perform periodic self-assessments and quality controls, leading to a cycle of continuous improvement as situations change and requirements evolve.
Luis Felipe de Oliveira, general director of ACI World, when announcing the accreditation for Quito, extended a special congratulation to the Quito International Airport team.
“After reviewing the evidence presented through our evaluation process, Quito International Airport has shown that it is providing a safe airport experience for all travelers
which is in line with the recommended health measures established in the ACI Aviation Business Restart and Recovery guidelines, as well as ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Task Force Recommendations, along with industry best practices”, expressed Luis Felipe de Oliveira.
Furthermore, the principal executive of Corporación Quiport considered that “by obtaining the Airport Health Accreditation we are sending the correct message: not only are we prepared to resume operations, but we are also committed to permanently evaluating our processes and prevention measures to improve them, always based on the recommendations of the bodies that regulate air transport. Our commitment is permanently aligned with health and safety.”
Aspects evaluated in the program include cleaning and disinfection, physical distancing (when feasible and practical), protection of airport personnel, physical distribution, communication with passengers, and passenger facilities.
All passenger areas and processes are considered, including access ways to the terminal, check-in areas, security control, boarding gates, lounges, retail stores, food and beverage outlets, boarding bridges, escalators and elevators, immigration control areas and facilities (in collaboration with authorities), baggage drop-off area and departure from the arrivals area.
