Flying and coronavirus — what SAA and Mango are doing to protect passengers
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South African Airways (SAA) and Mango have moved to reassure passengers concerned about the spread of the coronavirus that stringent health and safety protocols are being taken aboard aircraft.
“SAA assures customers that its operational health and safety procedures adhere to the World Health Organisation’s protocols to protect its customers and crew from contracting Covid-19,” spokesperson Tlali Tlali said in a statement.
He said aircraft are cleaned with disinfectants approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and which were effective against the coronavirus.
“The cleaning protocols our teams use to clean our aircraft have been intensified and focus among other things, on high frequent touch points such as handles, seatbelt buckles, tray tables and armrests
“Hard surfaces such as lavatories, galley units and window shades are also thoroughly cleaned with multipurpose cleaners. The Airbus fleet is equipped with state-of-the-art, High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters that sift out and remove dust, bacteria, allergens and other unhygienic particles.”
Tlali said crew at the national carrier have been trained to handle situations involving communicable diseases and medical emergencies.
“All our aircraft are loaded with biohazardous spill kits in case of a contamination event [or to handle a contamination event] and with cleaning materials.”
Mango said in a statement, “We know hygiene lies at the centre of prevention, so over and above the personal hygiene requirements we have for our flight crews, we have increased our aircraft cleaning efforts and are currently developing a passenger awareness campaign.
“From an aircraft perspective, all our planes are cleaned according to strict Boeing specifications and are fitted with a HEPA filter which filters out recirculated air on board each plane to remove airborne particles. HEPA filters are also used in hospitals to provide patients with clean air.
“At present, Mango leadership and technical teams are in the process of formulating extra precautionary measures to ensure passengers are not only safe, but feel comfortable and reassured. As and when these measures are finalised, we will communicate to the public and keep all stakeholders up to date and informed.”