Health Accreditation a UK First for London Luton Airport
London Luton Airport (LLA) has today announced that it has received certification from the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Health Accreditation programme.
LLA is the first UK airport and among the first in the world, to be awarded the accreditation, which provides airports with an assessment of how well their health measures align with worldwide standards and industry best practices. It was awarded after a careful assessment of new health measures and procedures introduced.
All passenger areas and processes at the airport were assessed as part of the accreditation process, including terminal access, check-in areas, security screening, boarding gates, lounges and airport shops and restaurants. The physical layout and additional passenger facilities, as well as communication with customers also formed part of the assessment.
LLA’s accreditation demonstrates its ongoing commitment to the safety of staff and passengers in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the importance it places on restoring public confidence in air travel. The globally-recognised standards on health and hygiene provide a seal of approval for the many measures in place, which include:
- Enhanced cleaning and disinfection in the terminal
- Installation of hand sanitiser units across the airport
- Use of autonomous robotics to clean and sanitise site
- Installation of floor markings and signage, so passengers can maintain a safe distance wherever possible
- Installation of protective screens at customer service points such as check-in
- Displaying the latest public health information throughout the airport including regular announcements
“Airports are vital to the UK’s economic recovery, and as we welcome back more passengers we are taking every measure possible to ensure that everyone in the airport is as safe as possible. This accreditation provides peace of mind to our staff and the passengers who choose to fly with us. I’d like to extend my thanks to everyone at the airport whose efforts have helped us to achieve this industry-leading standard.”
About ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation Programme:
The ACI Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) 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 Restart Task Force recommendations, and in alignment with the joint EASA and ECDC Aviation Health Safety Protocol and ACI EUROPE’s Guidelines for a Healthy Passenger Experience at Airports.
About London Luton Airport:
London Luton Airport (LLA) is one of the UK’s largest airports and carried 17.99 million passengers in 2019, an increase of 8.6% on 2018. The airport indirectly employs over 9,400 staff and is a key economic driver for the region.
easyJet, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Tui, EL AL, Blue Air, SunExpress, Vueling currently operate from the airport. The airport’s route network serves 150 destinations in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
The airport is operated and developed by a consortium of which the majority shareholder is AENA, the world’s largest airport operator, and AMP Capital, a specialist global investment manager.
LLA has invested over £160million to transform the airport and increase capacity to 18 million passengers per year by 2020. The redevelopment includes a complete redesign of the terminal, bringing in more than 40 new shops and restaurants and an additional 3,000 seats. LLA has also carried out major upgrades to transport links, including improved road access from the M1, new car parking facilities, and a remodelled bus and coach interchange.
Passengers travelling by rail will benefit from upgraded rail links to Luton Airport Parkway station as part of a new partnership agreement with Abellio, which will operate the East Midlands Railway for the next eight years. A half-hourly express rail service between London and Luton Airport Parkway will launch in December 2020. In addition, work is well underway on a £225 million light rail system linking the airport with Luton Airport Parkway station and is anticipated to be completed by 2021. The project is being delivered by the airport owners, LLAL – a company owned by Luton Council.
Originally published here
