Doha’s gateway to the world has become the first in the world to achieve independent verification from BSI (British Standards Institution) for its implementation of ICAO’s COVID-19 Aviation Health Safety Protocols.

The verification for Hamad International Airport (HIA) was conducted following its successful audit for compliance of measures outlined by the ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Taskforce (CART).

The Doha gateway believes that the accreditation is testament to its commitment to maintaining business efficiency during the COVID-19 pandemic while implementing “unprecedented measures to protect its staff and passengers in compliance with guidelines issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Civil Aviation Recovery Taskforce (CART)”.

Commenting on the achievement, His Excellency, Abdulla bin Nasser Turki Al-Subaey, president of Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority, said: “We are pleased to witness this unprecedented development in Qatar’s aviation history.

“This achievement is a testament to Qatar’s keenness and commitment to ICAO’s principles and objectives that help achieve the safety, security, and efficiency of the world’s civil aviation system.

“Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority continuously works on improving and developing the country’s aviation regulations to ensure that the latest health, safety, and security standards are implemented.”

While the airport’s chief operations officer, Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “It is an honour to be recognised for our efforts to maintain a safe environment for our staff and passengers while ensuring operational efficiency.

“We always strive to provide consistently high-quality services for all our stakeholders. The verification reflects our capability in maintaining HIA’s position as a leading airport in the world, in these unprecedented times.

“As the world is adjusting to the new normal, the international recognition we get from BSI is important to ensure HIA’s operational capabilities at all times.”

Al-Meer added: “This achievement would not have been made possible without the determined efforts of our staff, partners, and passengers, who all contribute in boosting the airport’s position as a true leader in the global aviation industry.”

The airport says that it has customised its procedures based on the categorisation of arriving passengers to ensure a smooth return to the country.

HIA continues to maintain a 1.5 metre physical distancing across all passenger touchpoints around the airport, through floor markings, signage and distanced seating.

All passenger touchpoints are sanitised every 10-15 minutes. All gates and bus gate counters are being cleaned after each flight. HIA’s retail and food and beverage outlets encourage contactless and cashless transactions through cards and are considering introducing online or in-app purchases in the future.

The airport also conducts regular disinfection of all baggage trolleys and tubs.

HIA recently became one of the few airports to introduce paperless air travel through its investments in facial biometric identification.

The airport has also installed C2 technology for transferring passengers. This security screening system allows transferring travellers the freedom to move through security checkpoints without having to take out any electronic devices from their bags and is a significant counter COVID-19 measure that reduces possible cross-contamination in passenger carry-on bags.

The implementation of the technology elevates the airport’s hygiene standards, by limiting human contact at the security checkpoints, making the process safer and faster for both staff and passengers.

As global travel slowly resumes, Qatar’s airport insists that it “continues to focus its efforts on the normalisation of travel by focusing on boosting passenger confidence through introducing the safest and most convenient travel experience”.