Velana International Airport Receives Airport Health Accreditation Certificate

After consistent measures in their fight against COVID-19, Velana International Airport (VIA) has received the much-awaited “Airport Health Accreditation” by Airport Council International (ACI).

Velana International Airport is the 2^nd airport in the Asia Pacific Region to receive the ACI Airport  Health Accreditation. The certification was awarded by a special letter sent to CEO&MD Mr.  Gordon Stewart by ACI World’s Director General Mr. Luis Felipe de Oliveira on 31^st August 2020.

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“I wish to extend my congratulations to you and the team at Maldives Airports Company Ltd accreditation in the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Health Accreditation programme.” Says ACI World’s Director General Mr. Luis Felipe de Oliveira.

VIA achieved the certification by completing a tight assessment by ACI in alignment with the guidelines for health measures established by ICAO, CART, EASA, and ACI recovery guidance, including ACI EUROPE’s Guidelines for a Healthy Passenger Experience at Airports.

ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation programme assists airports by assessing new health measures and procedures introduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in accordance with ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Task Force recommendations. Areas of assessment for accreditation include cleaning and disinfection, physical distancing (where feasible and practical), staff protection, physical layout, passenger communications and passenger facilities.

Commenting on the success of “Airport Health Accreditation” program, CEO&MD Mr. Stewart said, “This achievement proves that health and safety measures we are practicing at VIA are in alignment with international best practices ensuring health and safety of our passengers, employees and other airport stakeholders. Safety is our utmost priority and we never compromise on any of our set standards. To have successfully passed the strict audit by ACI demonstrates that our airport is a safe place to visit. This achievement will no doubt build our passenger confidence and also this would be a boost to Destination Maldives. This is the result of consistent efforts by our Team and stakeholders and I thank each and everyone who were involved.”

About ACI Airport Health Accreditation Programme 

The ACI Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) programme provides airports with an assessment of how aligned their health measures are with the ACI Aviation Business Restart and Recovery guidelines and ICAO Council Aviation Restart Task Force recommendations along with industry best practices.

Benefits of ACI Airport Health Accreditation: 

• Enables airports to demonstrate to passengers, staff, regulators, and governments that they are prioritizing health and safety in a measurable, established manner.
• Enables airports to validate their own measures throughout their facilities and processes.
• Reassures the travelling public using the airport’s facilities.
• Promotes the recognition of professional excellence in maintaining safe hygienic facilities.
• Promotes best practices and aligns efforts across the industry, and
• Ensures harmonization between ICAO global guidance and industry implementation.
• Accreditation is voluntary with a request to join the programme initiated by the airport.

Process 

The Accreditation is based on guidance from the ICAO CART Take-Off document and ACI Recovery and Restart Best Practices which supplement the CART approach. They are consistent with CAPSCA recommendations for States, taking an airport centric approach to common requirements.

Topics include cleaning and disinfection, physical distancing (where feasible and practical), staff protection, physical layout, passenger communications and passenger facilities.