Qatar Airways first to receive 5-Star Skytrax COVID-19 Safety Rating
Qatar Airways has become the first global airline in the world to achieve the 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating by international air transport rating organization, Skytrax.
The announcement follows an audit carried out by the Skytrax team in December, which assessed how effectively and consistently the airline’s COVID-19 hygiene and safety standards and procedures are adhered to, from flight check-in to onboard the aircraft. There was a full review of procedural efficiency checks, visual observation of hygiene and safety levels at all stages of the passenger journey, and on-board Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) sampling tests to measure the potential level of contamination of contact surfaces.
Qatar Airways’ on-board safety measures include the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for cabin crew and a complimentary protective kit for passengers. Business Class passengers on aircraft equipped with Qsuite can enjoy the enhanced privacy this award-winning business seat provides, including sliding privacy partitions and the option to use a ‘Do Not Disturb (DND)’ indicator. Qsuite is available on flights to more than 45 destinations including Frankfurt, Kuala Lumpur, London and New York.
Qatar Airways’ home and hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA) was recently being named as the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating in December 2020.
“This achievement highlights the fastidious measures and procedures Qatar Airways have employed to safeguard the health and wellbeing of our passengers throughout the global pandemic to date, and follows HIA’s recent success as the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating,” said Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker.
Skytrax Chief Executive Officer, Edward Plaisted, added: “We congratulate Qatar Airways on being awarded with the highest 5-Star COVID-19 Safety Rating and being the world’s first major airline to be certified at this level. Qatar Airways kept flying throughout COVID-19, taking over 3.1 million people home since the start of the pandemic, and it is this experience that enables them to deliver an excellent standard of health and hygiene safety measures to keep customers and staff safe.”
In addition, the airline also uses the most advanced HEPA air filtration systems on board all aircraft, and recently became the first global carrier to introduce Honeywell’s state-of-the-art Ultraviolet Cabin System, operated by Qatar Aviation Services, as a further step in the cleaning of its aircraft
Qatar Airways was also one of the first airlines to receive the Diamond Certification for cabin safety by the Airline Passenger Experience Association.
