COVID-19 Safety
We’ve compiled the Covid-19 safety policies of our major airline partners below, including what you can expect at the airport, during your flight, when in transit, and on your arrival.
Simply scroll through the information below until you find your chosen airline. If your airline is not listed, then please check their own website.
AT THE AIRPORT
- Arrive at the airport 3 hours prior to departure.
- To minimise contact and ensure your safety, use online check-in, self check-in and baggage drop counters at every opportunity.
INFLIGHT
- All aircraft are sanitized and disinfected 24/7 by dedicated teams.
- Passengers will be boarded in batches from last row to first.
- Operating crew wear personal protective equipment. They also undergo regular mandatory health checks and are well trained in Covid-19 safety protocols.
- You are required to keep your face mask on throughout the flight.
- Seatback pockets will only contain essentials.
- Meals are crafted in line with the most rigorous health and safety standards.
- In the cabin, air is completely replaced every 2 to 3 minutes, passing through HEPA filters. HEPA filters remove microscopic bacteria and virus clusters with over 99.9% efficiency, equivalent to hospital operating theatre standards.
TRANSIT & ARRIVALS
- Passenger belongings will be disinfected when you arrive in Sri Lanka.
- Maintain physical distance and keep your mask on when disembarking
- You will be required to walk through thermal screening to check your temperature.
- Transit passengers will be guided to a dedicated seating area.
AT THE AIRPORT
- Sanitising stations are positioned throughout the airport and next to touchpoints such as check-in kiosks and arrivals desks.
- British Airways’ Galleries Club lounges at Heathrow Terminal 5 are now open. New measures have been introduced to ensure your health, well-being and safety.
- Self-scan your boarding pass where possible. Staff will be on hand to check your passport details.
INFLIGHT
- Customers will only be required to wear a face covering onboard our flights if the destination they are travelling to, or from, requires you to do so.
- Try to minimise movement around the cabin as much as you can.
- Key surfaces are sanitised before every flight, from your seat to your screen, seat buckle and tray tables. The aircraft is cleaned nose to tail every day.
- In the cabin, air is completely replaced every 2 to 3 minutes, passing through HEPA filters. HEPA filters remove microscopic bacteria and virus clusters with over 99.9% efficiency, equivalent to hospital operating theatre standards.
TRANSIT & ARRIVALS
- Observe safe distance markers and instructions. Follow the advice of the country’s public health and airport guidelines.
- You must stay airside if you’re connecting through Heathrow. For other airports, visit their website.
- The baggage collection process will be the same, though you’ll need to observe safe distance markers at all times.
AT THE AIRPORT
- Emirates staff will be wearing face masks at the airport and you’ll need to have yours on too.
- Only people who are travelling can enter the airport, unless you have a disability and need assistance to travel.
- Check in desks are fitted with protective screens or you are able to use the self check in or bag drop kiosks at most airports.
- Most lounges in Dubai are now open however due to on-going protocols some lounges in other airports may not be open.
INFLIGHT
- You need to keep your mask on throughout the flight when you’re not eating or drinking. You may also need to wear gloves or other PPE depending on the regulations in your destination.
- If you’re flying into Dubai, you’ll be given a hygiene kit on board containing a mask, gloves, hand sanitiser and antibacterial wipes.
- Before every trip, all Emirates aircraft go through an enhanced cleaning and disinfection process. Lavatories are frequently disinfected and if the flight is longer than 1 hour 30 minutes, an extra member of our cabin crew is dedicated to cleaning them.
- In the cabin, air is completely replaced every 2 to 3 minutes, passing through HEPA filters. HEPA filters remove microscopic bacteria and virus clusters with over 99.9% efficiency, equivalent to hospital operating theatre standards.
TRANSIT & ARRIVALS
- If you have a connecting flight in Dubai, you will need to keep your mask on through the airport. You don’t have to wear gloves, but it is recommended. You’ll pass through a thermal scanner before you enter the connections area.
- All transfer desks have been fitted with protective antimicrobial screens and all the airport teams will be wearing masks. Stickers on the floor help everyone to keep a safe distance in queues, and seats in our waiting areas have been spaced.
AT THE AIRPORT
- Check in online to reduce interactions at the airport. Download your boarding pass to your phone through the Qatar Airways app or print your boarding pass at home.
- Check the baggage requirements at your destination, as hand luggage may not be accepted. To minimise contact at the airport, print your Q-Tag baggage tag at home.
- You are required to wear a face mask at all times, throughout the entire journey.
- Arrive at least three hours before your flight. There may be delays at the airport due to extra check-in procedures.
- Please ensure you maintain a 1.5 metre distance from other passengers at all times, especially during the check-in and boarding process.
- The boarding process has been modified to limit contact between passengers and staff.
INFLIGHT
- All cabin crew wear personal protective equipment (PPE) suits in addition to masks, protective glasses and gloves.
- It’s recommended that all passengers regularly wash their hands throughout their journey. Hand sanitiser bottles are available in the galley for you to use at any time throughout your flight.
- All passengers are required to wear a face mask at all times, from boarding to disembarkation. Passengers in possession of a Hidden >Disabilities Card or a Mask Exemption Card / medical certificate due to a medical condition and children under 6 are exempt.
- All service equipment is washed with detergents and rinsed with demineralized fresh water at temperatures that kill pathogenic bacteria.
- All headsets are sanitised, refurbished and hygienically packed after every flight.
- All aircraft are disinfected after every flight with cleaning products recommended by the International Air Transport Association and the World Health Organization.
- In the cabin, air is completely replaced every 2 to 3 minutes, passing through HEPA filters. HEPA filters remove microscopic bacteria and virus clusters with over 99.9% efficiency, equivalent to hospital operating theatre standards.
- All bedding and linen items are washed, dried, and pressed at temperatures up to 100 degrees centigrade after every flight. Economy Class pillow covers are disposed of after every flight.
- Screens are kept sanitised for your personal use.
- Protective kits containing a face mask, gloves and hand sanitiser gel will be distributed to all passengers on board.
- Honeywell's Ultraviolet (UV) Cabin System cleaning technology is used to treat aircraft seats, surfaces, and cabins.
TRANSIT & ARRIVALS
- All arrivals and departures passengers will be screened for Covid-19 symptoms. Advanced thermal screening helmets are also used, equipped with infrared thermal imaging and artificial intelligence.
- All handrails, baggage belts, trolleys and surfaces are disinfected and sanitised every 15 minutes, in addition to fully autonomous roaming mobile disinfectant robots.
- Physical distancing is required at all times. Hamad International Airport has installed signage, floor markings, and distanced seating to ensure you maintain a 1.5 metre distance from other passengers.
- All departure, arrival and transfer baggage will be disinfected.
- All travellers are required to wear a face mask in HIA.
