Oman's Muscat, Salalah airports get COVID-safe tag once more

Muscat: For the second time in a row, Muscat International Airport and Salalah Airport have obtained COVID-19 prevention accreditation from the Airports Council International Organisation.

The accreditation was granted after an thorough audit by the Airports Council International team, during which the effectiveness and strictness of the health standards and procedures related to COVID-19 applied by the world’s airports, from check-in of passengers at the airport until departure were evaluated.

“Oman Airports” said that Muscat International Airport and Salalah Airport obtaining this modern international accreditation for the second year in a row for the health procedures, is an addition to the achievements made by both Muscat International Airport and Salalah Airport in the past period, and within the efforts made by “Oman Airports” to provide the best safety services for passengers to implement the highest levels of health and safety at its airports, in line with the national efforts to limit the spread of “COVID-19”.

“Oman Airports” expressed its happiness with this accreditation achieved by Muscat International Airport and Salalah Airport, in recognition of the procedures followed at the two airports on the implementation of the “COVID-19” policies. This is a milestone in safety measures achieved in cooperation with the concerned authorities in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is based on auditing a set of practical proficiency checks and visual observation analysis, where adherence to standards was taken as a major determinant in the final approved classification.

In course of the Airports Council International’s COVID-19 audit, the practical application and feasibility of physical distancing protocols within both airports were evaluated and verified. The quality and availability of personal hygiene facilities in the passenger terminals at Muscat International Airport and Salalah Airport were also evaluated. The audit also included assessing the effectiveness of cleaning and identifying any potential sources of contamination to ensure that both airports’ hygiene and sterilisation standards comply with the most stringent requirements.

It is worth noting that the airport health accreditation assessment has been performed by inspection of the personal protective equipment’s standards for employees and their commitment to using them, in addition to implementation of thermal examination procedures to measure temperature, controls for wearing face masks, and standards of general hygiene and sterilisation in all airport halls.

Muscat International Airport and Salalah Airport provide a safe environment for passengers and employees, as strict procedures are applied in the areas of hand hygiene and physical distancing, and both airports also meet high standards of sterilisation through high-density contact points.

“Oman Airports” has also worked to facilitate procedures for examining arriving and departing passengers according to the requirements of the concerned authorities to deal with the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus, and to take the necessary preventive measures to ensure the safety of all passengers, aircraft crews and airport employees.