ACI partners with Bureau Veritas to introduce an Airport Health Measures Audit programme based on the SafeGuardTM standards to support airports recovery
Airports that successfully pass on-site audit covering all steps of the passenger journey and based on international recommendations will be awarded the SafeGuardTM label
Montreal, 23 November 2020 – Airports Council International (ACI) World announced today a partnership with Bureau Veritas, world leader in testing, inspection and certification to propose to airports, all around the world, an Audit Programme to ensure the proper implementation of appropriate health & safety measures.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought airports to a virtual standstill. To support the airport industry recovery, a commitment to the health and welfare of travellers, staff and the public is key.
The Airport Health Measures Audit Programme aims to support airport operators by addressing their specific risks and by reassuring passengers. The on-site audits, conducted by Bureau Veritas, and the associated SafeGuardTM label will enable airports to demonstrate their compliance with a harmonized set of measures, aligned with the recommendations of national and international authorities.
“As an addition to our Airport Health Accreditation Programme, this partnership with Bureau Veritas will provide airports with the benefit of the rigor and precision of a robust physical audit of their processes,” ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira said. “It illustrates to passengers, regulators and governments that they are prioritizing health and safety. Bureau Veritas has the international experience and expertise to provide audits to verify that safety and hygiene protective and preventative measures related to COVID-19 are set up and implemented based upon international and national recommendations.
“This partnership is another example of ACI’s intention to work with the industry to support recovery. Sustainable social and economic development can thus be delivered to the communities we serve. Partnerships will support the aviation industry and help to push it forward during the recovery process and beyond.”
Antoine Blin, Director of the Aeronautics & Space Agency at Bureau Veritas added: “We are proud to work with ACI to support the airport industry recovery through a solution fostering passengers’ trust. For several months now, the SafeGuardTM label has been successfully implemented in a large number of companies across various industries and geographies. Our global network of auditors has extensive experience in health and safety requirements and is able to mobilize worldwide. With our label, today we have the ability to meet the new expectations of our society in terms of health and safety.”
The SafeGuardTM label addresses specific risks to all places where people live and work, providing a continuous reference to travelers along their journey. It means that teams have been effectively trained on hygiene best practices and assures that protective measures are properly set up and implemented in a transparent way.
For this partnership with ACI, Bureau Veritas has developed a dedicated checklist to cover all the processes of an airport, from management to operations which is deployed through an on-site audit. Health, safety and air transport experts all contributed to the creation of this airport-specific checklist.
Airports that successfully complete the process will be able to display the SafeGuardTM label to communicate this achievement to passengers, staff and the public on this dedicated website.
Notes for editors
- More information on the Airport Health Measures Audit Programme can be found on the ACI website and the Bureau Veritas website.
- More information about the ACI Airport Health Accreditation Programme.
- Stay up to date with ACI World’s COVID-19 communications through its dedicated news hub.
- Airports Council International (ACI), the trade association of the world’s airports, was founded in 1991 with the objective of fostering cooperation among its member airports and other partners in world aviation, including the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Air Transport Association and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization. In representing the best interests of airports during key phases of policy development, ACI makes a significant contribution toward ensuring a global air transport system that is safe, secure, customer-centric and environmentally sustainable. As of January 2020, ACI serves 668 members, operating 1979 airports in 176 countries.
Media contacts
Anita Berthier
Director, Communications
ACI World
Telephone: +1 514 373 1254
Email: mediarelations@aci.aero