Health Checklist to Help Airlines Implement ICAO COVID-19 Guidance

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released an airline self-assessment health checklist to support the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Take-off: Guidance for Air Travel through the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis. The Take-off guidance is the global standard framework of risk-based temporary measures for governments and the air transport value chain for safe operations during the COVID-19 crisis.

“Safety is always the number one priority for air transport. And the challenges of COVID-19 have added a new dimension to our efforts. Developed with input from industry, public health authorities and governments, ICAO’s Take-off guidance is the global standard for safe operations. IATA’s self-assessment checklist is a practical implementation guide to help airlines comply,” said IATA’s Director General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac.

“A harmonized approach to health is key not only to the recovery of civil aviation but also to ‘building back better,’ which is crucially important to ensuring the future resilience of the aviation network. IATA’s health checklist for airlines will be of importance in terms of providing momentum for the implementation of the ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) recommendations, of which harmonization and resilience are the guiding principles,’’ said ICAO’s Council President, Salvatore Sciacchitano.

The IATA Health Safety Checklist for Airline Operators provides the standards and recommended practices (IHSARPs), associated guidance material and other supporting information necessary for an operator to self-assess. Sections cover: 

• Pre-arrival notification;
• Check in;
• Embarkation and Disembarkation;
• Aircraft Cleaning;
• Onboard Air Quality;
• In-flight Operations;
• Flight and Cabin Crew – General;
• Crew Layover;
• Airport Facilities.

The checklist is available here and can be used free of charge by interested airlines.