Hainan Airlines receives the highest 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating
by Skytrax: London, UK
Hainan Airlines has been certified with the highest 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating, becoming one of just fourteen airlines in the world to currently achieve this top recognition and being the first airline in China to gain the 5-Star COVID-19 Safety Rating.
The Skytrax COVID-19 Airline Safety Accreditation is regarded as a global benchmark for evaluating COVID-19 safe travel.
The COVID-19 Safety Audit was conducted by Skytrax during June and July 2021, analysing all of the relevant health and hygiene measures introduced by Hainan Airlines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The audit evaluates front line facilities and service systems in the airport environment and onboard flights to determine if the procedures were effective, consistent and compliant with the required standards. The airport assessments were carried out for the airline’s home base at Haikou Meilan International Airport.
Mr. Liu Lu, Chairman of Hainan Airlines said: “The pandemic disease has swept the world since 2020, which results in great influence of economy and social life. The Chinese aviation domestic market is going back to the track by systematic management of CAAC in pandemic disease control and safe operation. Hainan Airlines has optimized service process and strengthened Covid prevention measures on the ground and in the onboard environment. It is pleasing that Hainan Airlines achieved such a good performance to meet the standard of this 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating. Hainan Airlines will carry out guidelines and policies to prevent disease re-occurring to cause a new epidemic, preventing it spreading from cities and preventing transmission in people and goods. Hainan Airlines will continue to optimize disease monitor and early-warning mechanism, consolidating disease prevention measures step by step to make sure every requirement is implemented fully.”
The audit included assessment of Hainan Airlines implementation of health, hygiene, and safety measures in accordance with the recommendations of the ICAO Council’s Aviation Recovery Task Force, and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) Preventing Spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Guideline (Seventh Edition).
Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax said: “Hainan Airlines has developed a very detailed range of COVID-19 safety protocols, and these are being excellently applied on a consistent basis. With the airline maintaining a very busy network of domestic flights since early 2020, they have extensive experience of complying with the required health and hygiene systems during the global pandemic. At their home base airport of Haikou Meilan International Airport the safe travel measures are well delivered, again with high levels of consistency.”
Hainan Airlines has gained a lot of experience in delivering COVID-19 safe travel measures for its customers since March 2020, having been operating a large number of domestic flights throughout China. The airline has also been conducting international charter repatriation flights, and flights for medical staff / supplies.
There is an extensive range of COVID-19 guidance at key touchpoints across the airport environment, including face mask reminders, social distancing control, customer temperature checks and service adaptations to reduce the potential spread of coronavirus. Hainan Airlines has introduced hand sanitisers at all high contact areas.
The lounge service protocols at it’s domestic lounges remain fairly normal for food and beverage service whilst coronavirus is at a low risk level, but enhanced cleaning is applied for all frequently touched surfaces such as seats and tables, which are sanitised after each customer. Social distancing is well controlled and enforced by staff at the boarding gate, and for arrivals this is also similarly well controlled in the baggage hall areas.
The Hainan Airlines onboard experience retains a full service product, but with reduced contact practices being used for the service of food and beverages. Due to COVID-19 the airline has optimised and adjusted some of the cabin services and meals. Onboard flights, customers can request facemasks and disinfection wipes.
Standards of cabin staff service remain very high, with a very consistent use of staff PPE, and with staff managing customers in the cabin environment in a very orderly and disciplined manner.
ABOUT HAINAN AIRLINES
Hainan Airlines Holding Co., Ltd. was founded in January 1993 in Hainan Province in China, and is based at Haikou Meilan International Airport . It has grown from a small domestic carrier to a global airline, with routes across the world. Since 1993, Hainan Airlines has been operating safely for 28 consecutive years, accumulating more than 8.35 million flight hours, with a young fleet of mainly Boeing aircraft.
The 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating confirms excellent airport processing standards that considers all practical elements of contactless technology, customer handling, and social distancing protocols for check-in, boarding, and arrival. Airline lounges in Nur-Sultan meet a high standard of cleanliness procedures and consistency, with good measures in place that facilitate social distancing, and safe delivery systems for food and beverages. Onboard cleanliness and cabin presentation is at an excellent quality level and may use new techniques for UV sanitisation, and mass disinfectant treatments. The onboard service systems for catering are adapted for COVID-19 times, with reduced contact delivery and enhanced food safety measures for meal presentation.
ABOUT SKYTRAX
Skytrax, the International air transport rating organisation, was established in 1989 and is based in London, United Kingdom. The World Airline Rating programme is a leading international Rating system operating since 1999, which classifies airlines by the quality of product and staff service. In 2020, Skytrax launched the COVID-19 Airline Safety Ratings, providing independent, expert evaluation and certification of airline COVID-19 hygiene and safety measures. This programme is regarded as a global benchmark for Certifying COVID-19 safe travel standards.
