ACI announces health audit program for airports

By Yunus Girgin

ANKARA (AA) - Airports Council International (ACI) World announced a partnership Monday with Bureau Veritas, a company specialized in testing, inspection and certification, to propose a new 'Airport Health Measures Audit' program.

ACI said in a statement that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought airports to a near standstill, and a commitment to the health and welfare of travelers, staff and the public is key to support the airport industry’s recovery.

The aim of the program is to support airport operators by addressing their specific risks and by reassuring passengers.

It said airports that successfully pass on-site audits covering all steps of the passenger journey and based on international recommendations will be awarded the SafeGuard label, which addresses specific risks to all places where people live and work, providing a continuous reference to travelers along their journey.

ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira stressed that this partnership with Bureau Veritas will provide airports with the benefit of the rigor and precision of a robust physical audit of their processes.

“It illustrates to passengers, regulators and governments that they are prioritizing health and safety,” he said.

"This partnership is another example of ACI’s intention to work with the industry to support recovery.”

“For this partnership with ACI, Bureau Veritas has developed a checklist to cover all the processes of an airport, from management to operations which is deployed through an on-site audit. Health, safety and air transport experts all contributed to the creation of this airport-specific checklist,” said ACI.

ACI, the only global trade representative of the world’s airport authorities, was established in 1991. It represents airports’ interests with governments and international organizations, develops standards, policies and recommended practices for airports and provides information and training opportunities to raise the standards around the world. ​​​​​​​

It aims to provide the public a safe, secure, efficient and an environmentally responsible air transport system.