As countries open up amid Covid-19 pandemic, airlines are gradually resuming their flights with safety precautions put in place.

On June 7, Singapore Airlines (SIA) announced a range of health and safety measures that the airlines under the SIA Group will be introducing.

Enhanced cleaning procedures and disinfection

SIA assured that the company has stepped up cleaning procedures at all premises, including its SilverKris Lounges.

Every aircraft will undergo an enhanced cleaning process before each flight, and common surfaces and areas in the aircraft such as windows, tray tables, lavatories will be disinfected.

SIA is also looking at a trial of an ultra-violet light cleaning procedure on the ground for the lavatories before every flight.

Headsets, headrest covers, pillow covers, bedsheets, and blankets are also washed and replaced after every flight, SIA added.

The air in the aircraft is refreshed every two to three minutes with a ceiling to floor airflow pattern to limit the spread of virus and bacteria.

All aircrafts are also installed with High Efficiency Particulate Air filters to remove viruses and bacteria.

Changes to in-flight service

From June 8, all airlines under SIA Group, including SilkAir and Scoot, will provide passengers on board with a Care Kit.

The Care Kit includes a surgical mask, anti-bacterial hand wipes and hand sanitiser.

The cabin crew will be wearing face masks throughout the flight.

When interacting with the passengers, the crew members will also wear eye goggles.

The in-flight meals will be replaced with snack bags instead for flights within Southeast Asia and Mainland China. When serving passengers during meal times, the crew members will be wearing gloves for hygiene reasons.

For long-haul flights, a single tray service will be introduced in place of table layout service in First Class and Business Class.

SIA will progressively reintroduce its signature satay and garlic bread from mid-June 2020.

Digital solutions

Passengers can also access to digital copy of over 150 reading materials via the SingaporeAir mobile app and access their in-flight entertainment via a Companion App.

In the coming months, the SIA Group will also introduce in-flight e-menu and digital food ordering services in the lounges.

In time to come, passengers will be able to print their boarding passes and baggage tags at airport self service kiosks via the SingaporeAir mobile app or a QR code as well.

Read more about the enhanced health and safety measures by SIA Group here.

Top photo from Singapore Airlines