Qatar Airways continues to take firm steps in response to COVID-19 (coronavirus). The airline’s robust measures include amending its flight schedule, working with governments to take people home, and introducing new policies to ensure the health and safety of staff, and maintaining its vital cargo operations.
Flight schedules and bookings
Qatar Airways continues to temporarily hold flights to severely affected countries due to entry restrictions implemented by many governments to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The airline will place a temporary hold on flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) from 1 April 2020, Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD) from 4 April, and Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN) from 5 April, with the intention to reinstate flights in line with a return to regular conditions.
Health and safety measures
Qatar Airways has implemented robust policies to ensure the health and safety of its passengers and employees. Cabin crew have received training on how to minimize their chances of contracting or spreading the infection, are thermally screened before the departure of flights and after their arrival, and are quarantined and tested if any colleagues or passengers on a flight shows any symptoms of infection or test positive for the virus.
In terms of passengers, Qatar Airways is encouraging social distancing where possible, especially on flights with lighter loads. Distancing is also implemented during the boarding process, ensuring passengers are allocated seats far apart from each other.
As an airline, Qatar Airways maintains the highest possible hygiene standards, which include the regular disinfection of aircraft, the use of cleaning products recommended by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and WHO.
Qatar Airways’ aircraft feature the most advanced air filtration systems, equipped with industrial-size HEPA filters that remove 99.97% of viral and bacterial contaminants from re-circulated air, providing the most effective protection against infection. All the airline’s onboard linen and blankets are washed, dried and pressed at microbial lethal temperatures, and then sealed into individual packaging by staff wearing disposable gloves.
Qatar Airways Cargo
Qatar Airways supported China supported by donating and flying 300 tons of medical supplies to in five cargo aircraft to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. It also flew six tons of medical supplies free of charge to the Islamic Republic of Iran, which were donated by the State of Qatar, in March. Qatar Airways Cargo has offered to fly any medical supplies to China and Iran free of charge, to continue to support the coronavirus relief efforts of these countries
In terms of its day-to-day operations, Qatar Airways Cargo is working hard to ensure that importers can maintain supplies of fresh produce and pharmaceuticals to countries around the world through our cargo operations – at significantly discounted rates.
Measures at Hamad International Airport
Hamad International Airport (HIA) is also robustly minimizing any risks to the health and safety of passengers and staff.
To limit the number of people at HIA as passenger numbers are below average, there has been a temporary reduction.
In terms of hygiene measures, HIA has implemented stringent cleaning procedures and closed most of the non-essential passenger facilities. All passenger touchpoints are sanitized every 10-15 minutes. All boarding gates and bus gate counters are cleaned after each flight.
Source: Qatar Airways