SINGAPORE — Airways might want to meet a “harmonized” normal of well being measures as air journey returns following the worldwide pandemic, in line with the CEO of Etihad Airways.
“I can see that wellness certification will turn into a obligatory perform of how the entire of the world comes again to flying,” Tony Douglas advised CNBC’s Hadley Gamble final week as a part of the World Aerospace Summit.
For Etihad, a United Arab Emirates flag service, efforts to make sure “wellness” embrace sterilization of cabins, necessary coronavirus assessments for passengers and monitoring wristbands to be worn through the obligatory 14-day quarantine.
An Airbus A321 airliner of Etihad Airways that has delivered medical provides for preventing Covid-19 from the United Arab Emirates at Grozny Worldwide Airport in Russia.
Yelena Afonina | TASS | Getty Photos
‘Internationally aligned’ processes
For ever and ever to the pandemic, Etihad’s Douglas mentioned airways should adapt to guarantee passengers that it is protected to fly.
“In precisely the identical approach with safety requirements after Lockerbie, after 9/11, and with the liquid bomb threats, that noticed international aviation safety requirements harmonized in every single place, I forecast that that is what is going to occur with wellness as effectively,” he mentioned.
Douglas mentioned he was not evaluating the coronavirus to terrorism, however declaring the significance of “internationally aligned” processes.
“With these terrorism examples, over time, entire baggage screening grew to become a worldwide, acknowledged, harmonized normal,” he mentioned. “I will go on the market and predict that, following Covid, there can be modifications to the way in which wherein wellness certification will come into play.”
Layoffs
The airline, which is the nation’s second-largest, introduced wage cuts and layoffs in Might. Douglas mentioned “1000’s” had been laid off and that it is a “regrettable actuality” going through the trade.
Etihad has lost more than $5 billion since 2016 and had been engaged on a change program for greater than two years when the coronavirus outbreak hit. Douglas mentioned he couldn’t assure there could be no additional layoffs, given the issues going through the trade.
Douglas advised CNBC that the state-owned firm has obtained “exceptional assist” from the Abu Dhabi authorities.
“The trick to us now, is to focus on how we navigate popping out of the opposite facet of it,” he mentioned. “I am certain Etihad can be one of many winners in all of this.”
—CNBC’s Natasha Turak contributed to this report.
