SINGAPORE 20 January 2021: Singapore Airlines has been awarded a Diamond rating – the highest level attainable – in the APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying audit of global airlines.
The audit, which was jointly conducted by industry body Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) and aviation strategy firm SimpliFlying, involved a quantitative 58-point checklist covering 10 categories. These included testing, tracing, on-the-ground procedures, in-flight measures and partnerships to enhance safety integrity further.
The diamond rating is the highest achievable level for the audit, marking at least 200 points above the minimum gold standard determined by APEX and SimpliFlying for passenger safety and well-being. Standards are based on independently verified, validated, and certified airline passenger health safety measures.
Singapore Airlines senior vice president customer experience Yeoh Phee Teik said: “Early in the Covid-19 pandemic, we undertook a comprehensive review of our health and safety measures together with our partners and regulators, in consultation with medical experts, and by taking on board customer feedback.”
SIA has introduced comprehensive health and safety measures that include basic passenger health assessments, as well as contactless services such as mobile check-in and digital in-flight menus.
It regularly applies anti-microbial coating on high-touch surfaces including areas in the lounges and various sections of the aircraft cabin including the lavatories. On selected aircraft, electrostatic spraying machines containing a disinfecting agent are used to sanitise the cabin.
During the flight, SIA requires all customers and staff members to wear masks unless they are eating or drinking. Cabin crew are also required to wear goggles, as well as gloves when necessary. They are also required to be in protective gowns on flights from certain sectors.
All physical newspapers and magazines have been removed, but SIA offers customers free e-Library via their personal tablets and mobile devices to provide access to more than 1,000 global publications.
All SIA aircraft are equipped with High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, which remove more than 99.9% of particles including airborne viruses and bacteria in the cabin.
In December, SIA also launched trials on a digital health verification process, the first in the world to be based on the International Air Transport Association’s Travel Pass framework. This allows customers to securely store and present information related to Covid-19 tests, as well as their vaccination status in the future.
