Air Canada has announced the launch of Air Canada CleanCare+, a programme for personal safety and enhanced aircraft cleaning, aimed at providing customers with greater peace of mind during all stages of travel.
The new programme is designed to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 by reinforcing measures such as mandatory pre-flight customer temperature checks in addition to required health questionnaires, seat assignment policies to allow for more personal space in Economy Class on all flights until 30 June, and by providing all customers with care kits for hand cleaning and hygiene.
Customers travelling on Air Canada flights will be subject to an infra-red temperature check at all airports, the first airline in the Americas to announce such measures system-wide. The non-invasive procedure will complement the existing government-mandated health questionnaire currently completed by all travellers to determine whether they are fit to fly. According to the airline, customers who are deemed unfit to travel will be rebooked at no cost but be required to obtain medical clearance prior to travel.
Moreover, to promote more personal space in Economy Class aboard its aircraft, Air Canada will automatically block the sale of adjacent seats and cap the total number of seats sold for each flight. As a result, no customer in Economy Class will be required to sit immediately adjacent to another, unless they are required to do so to assist another customer with whom they are travelling. This policy will remain in effect until at least 30 June.
The airline is also enhancing the cleaning procedures in the cabin by introducing electrostatic spraying of the cabin interiors. Air Canada will additionally expand its existing aircraft cleaning procedures, which already incorporate the use of hospital grade disinfectant and specialised techniques to maintain cabin cleanliness across its fleet. Passengers will also be provided with care kits containing hand sanitisers and other health items.
“While we are eager to see the reopening of economies and the restart of commercial aviation, the safety of our customers and employees is Air Canada’s core value and we aim to establish the highest standards of hygiene, cleanliness and attention to public health guidelines,” commented Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada.
“We have been a leader in progressively introducing new measures in response to COVID-19, such as introducing Personal Protective Equipment for our employees and being the first North American carrier to require face coverings for customers. We are now the first airline in the Americas to administer pre-flight temperature checks system-wide. With Air Canada CleanCare+, we are introducing a comprehensive new programme to give each customer added assurance for their well-being throughout all stages of their journey – and we intend to continue enhancing Air Canada CleanCare+ where we can with best practices from around the world, including increased use of screening tools, such as blood oxygen level testing, as they become available.”
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