by HARIZAH KAMEL/ pic by ARIF KARTONO

MALAYSIA Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) has assured passengers that its airports are safe and well-prepared for the Recovery Movement Control Order, which has enabled the reopening of the country’s tourism and domestic flight routes.

Group CEO Datuk Mohd Shukrie Mohd Salleh said the much-improved situation in the country concerning the Covid-19 infection, recovery and management, as well as the easing of restrictions is expected to result in a travel surge compared to the previous months.

“We are committed to giving our utmost support to the airlines to resume more and more of their local flight offerings,” he said in a recent statement.

“Our main aim is to facilitate a safe and welcoming passenger flow for both departing and arriving guests.

“From focusing on strict social-distancing measures to ensuring the availability of personal protection equipment, we serve to complement our airline partners’ new safety protocols as well,” he added.

MAHB said it will extend the fullest support to its airline partners and retailers in ensuring all safety measures are carried out vigilantly across its network of airports and ramping up the readiness of all airport staff operating in the new normal of air travel.

Passengers will have additional protection on health and safety aspects as they can look forward to a contactless airport experience.

This includes facial recognition technology, contactless security screening at checkpoints and sneeze guard protectors at counters, while on-ground safety, compliance officers will patrol the terminals to ensure social distancing is practised at all times.

The airport operator is also highly supportive of the government’s efforts in facilitating contact tracing through the SELangkah application by the Selangor state government and all airport retailers.

“We are supporting our retail partners in reopening their stores in a safe manner. On top of the standard operating procedures on sanitisation and temperature checking, outlet layouts are also changed for social-distancing enforcement. We want to make airport retail experience easier, safer and better for our passengers and the airport community,” said Mohd Shukrie.

He mentioned that the specially formed Covid-19 committee comprising airport management, government agencies and related stakeholders are constantly kept abreast on the latest facilities and services provided at other airports around the world.

Currently, the committee is looking at further enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of disinfection exercises through automation and ultraviolet (UV) light technologies that will be installed at passenger heavy areas such as washrooms, baggage reclaim and immigration clearance counters.

The UV light robot, on the other hand, will be mobilised at public areas to ensure thorough disinfection is carried out throughout the terminal, said MAHB.