Amanda Owen is health and safety director at Heathrow which handled a record 80.9 million passengers in 2019 and is now, like all airports, having to adapt to the COVID-19 crisis.
Heathrow has been reporting steady, uninterrupted record growth, but in March passenger numbers shrank by 52% compared to the same time last year, and by 90% in April following the extension of the UK’s lockdown and the FCO’s advice against all but essential travel.
The airport has stepped up cleaning routines, provided PPE (personal protective equipment) to staff, installed additional hand sanitisers, closed non-essential passenger facilities and rolled out new signage to help people socially distance. It is also focusing on technological innovations to streamline the security search process, reducing the need for person-to-person contact and rebuilding passenger confidence to travel.
Owen says:’Once this pandemic is overcome, aviation will be key to restarting the economy. This is why we are taking a number of measures to protect the business during this time and ensure Heathrow remains ready and able to play its part in the UK’s economic recovery.’
Read the full FTE story here.
