(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Doha: Hamad International Airport (HIA) affirmed its keenness to achieve the highest safety standards for travelers and employees working at the airport by taking all preventive and precautionary measures against the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in implementation of the directives the wise leadership, while Qatar Airways announced the suspension of its flights to some of the cities where the epidemic is spreading, such as New York, Madrid, and Barcelona, in the context of these precautionary measures that guarantee the safety and health of all travelers and airport workers.
This came in a joint press conference held by the Chief Operating Officer of HIA Eng. Badr Al Meer, and Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Qatar Airways Salam Al Shawa, on the latest developments and measures taken to prevent Coronavirus.
Badr Al Meer stressed that all operations at HIA witness fruitful and effective cooperation between the various entities working at the airport, such as the ministries of the Interior, Public Health, Transport and Communications, and the Qatar Airways Group, to ensure the highest safety standards for travelers and employees working at the airport.
Al Meer pointed out that the main reason for the continuation of some Qatar Airways operations is the return of the Qatari citizens present in the affected countries to the homeland. He said that Qatar Airways has a great responsibility towards the country and the citizen, the most important of which is the evacuation and return of Qatari citizens to the homeland from the affected countries, and this is the main reason for the continuation of Qatar Airways operations.
Some Qatari citizens are still abroad for study, treatment or work in addition to the families, the elderly, children, and youth present in some of the affected countries, and this requires Qatar Airways, as a national carrier, to take the necessary measures to return them to the homeland as soon as possible to preserve their safety before matters become more complicated in these countries, that could reach the stage of airport closures, he explained.
The Chief Operating Officer of Hamad International Airport also stressed that no passenger is transported via Qatar Airways and Hamad International Airport without ensuring that the airports of the final destinations are open with no restrictions on air traffic and passenger reception. He noted that some of the passengers of Hamad International Airport faced difficulties when countries decided to cancel their flights or close airports.
He pointed out that Hamad International Airport, in cooperation with the ministries of Interior, Communications and Transport, and Public Health, provided assistance for travelers who had problems reaching their final destinations.
He stressed that Hamad International Airport has taken all preventive measures in coordination with the Ministry of Public Health, including the reduction of the number of employees at the airport by 40 percent, who are now working remotely. He added that 60 percent of workers are receiving training on things like how to deal with travelers.
He also said that the airport was undergoing sterilization operations that take place around the clock, with closures in the duty free and all shops except for some restaurants in accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the decisions of the Ministry of Public Health. He said that all of the airports workers will undergo testing in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health.
On maintaining transit operations, he said that Qatar Airways was one of the biggest airlines in the world, and noted that there are a number of airports around the world that remain open that has taken all the necessary precautions against the spread of the virus.
The COO noted that operations decreased by a very large percentage, with operations of Qatar Airways down more than 75 percent with the suspension of more than 75 of its fleet, with the decline likely to reach 90 percent soon. He also said that the number of passengers at Hamad International Airport fell by 90 percent compared to days before the crisis.
He reiterated that the continuation of operations was due to humanitarian reasons, including the repatriation of Qatari citizens, and the transportation of medicines and medical equipment that require urgent transportation via freight or by passenger aircraft. He also pointed out that 60 percent of the food coming to Doha arrives via passenger planes and not through air cargo planes because some airports prevent cargo planes from landing in them.
For her part Al Shawa said that the carrier's top priority is ensuring safety and security, saying that it has taken all the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of its passengers and staff.
Qatar Airways suspended its flights to cities like New York, Madrid, and Barcelona to ensure the safety of passengers. She noted that Qatar Airways is also a global company with responsibilities towards its community. She said that the company has played a role in transporting medical supplies to countries like China and Iran. The carrier also cooperated with the Sultanate of Oman to transport dozens of Omani students that were trapped in the UK and the US.
She stressed that all crew members on Qatar Airways are committed to all health procedures and requirements such as wearing gloves and masks, as well as the use of sterilizers and other health requirements to maintain their safety and the safety of travelers. The crew has also been trained to maintain the safe distance between them and travelers. Crew members are also screened before and after every trip. She also said that those who were infected were not working, but rather were on their annual vacation.
She stressed that all workers and crews on board the Qatar Airways planes are trained to deal with any cases, and take all necessary precautionary measures in this regard. She added that the carrier operates two crews for short trips, one for the outbound flight and the other to return in order to prevent the stay of crews in other countries.
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