7 airlines ready to fly during New Year break under tighter Covid-19 measures
Seven airlines under the Thai Airlines Association are ready to fly passengers during the New Year holidays under enhanced Covid-19 prevention measures, association president Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth said on Friday.
The airlines are Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia, Thai AirAsia X, Thai Smile Airways, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air and Thai Vietjet.
“To cope with the threat of the Omicron variant, the association has instructed its members to strictly adhere to disease control measures as well as monitor latest updates on the variant,” he said. “The seven airlines have been following the regulations set by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand [CAAT] and the International Air Transport Association [IATA].
“All passengers on board are required to wear a facemask at all times, provide a certificate of vaccination and/or test result as required by the authorities at the destination and maintain a distance from each other,” he said.
“The airlines have fitted their aircraft with a state-of-the-art filtration system and are required to regularly disinfect the planes to ensure the safety of all passengers and crew. No food or beverage will be served except in cases of emergency.”
Puttipong also cited IATA’s latest announcement saying that aircraft cabins create a very low-risk environment for contracting Covid-19 even though Omicron is more transmissible.
“According to IATA’s medical adviser Dr David Powell, factors that contribute to the low risk include aircraft design characteristics [direction of airflow, rate of air exchange and filtration], the forward orientation of passengers while seated, well-enforced masking and enhanced sanitary measures. The controlled nature of the aircraft cabin compared to other enclosed environments adds a further measure of protection,” Puttipong added.
