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Cebu Pacific intensifies sanitation protocols for flight restart, rolls out new Contactless Flights guidelines

As it prepares for the resumption of commercial passenger operations—including Dubai-Manila route—the Philippines’ largest national flag carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) aims to implement new sanitation protocols and intensified preventive measures against the coronavirus disease (COVID 19).
The airline plans to enforce the following measures, in line with the regulations set by the government, to ensure the safety of staff and passengers on the flight against the disease:
Antibody tests
All pilots and cabin crew will undergo rapid antibody tests before they are assigned to operate flights.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
All operating crew, as well as ground staff, will be required to don Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) while on duty.
Ramped-up sanitation programmes
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Cleaning and disinfection procedures have been ramped-up for all CEB aircraft, facilities, and equipment such as self-check-in kiosks, check-in and bag drop counters and shuttle buses.
The following procedures include:

  1. Providing alcohol-based hand sanitisers for all passengers and staff at the airport and inside the aircraft.
  2. Misting of the cabins of CEB’s aircraft using a disinfectant approved for Airbus jets—proven to be effective in eradicating viruses including the novel coronavirus. This process is aligned with International Air Transport Association guidelines and ensures that all surfaces (such as passenger seats, overhead bins and cargo compartments) are covered and sanitised.
  3. Disinfecting all surfaces inside the lavatories—from the walls, sink, mirror, knobs, toilet bowl and floors—every 30 minutes during a flight.

Contactless flights
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CEB urges all passengers to check-in for flights online. They will also be required to hold their own boarding passes with the barcode facing the staff for scanning. Queues and boarding procedures will be managed according to physical distancing guidelines.
“We are implementing additional procedures to assure our passengers and give them the confidence to travel again. Rolling out ‘contactless flights’ will minimise face-to-face contact between our ground staff and our passengers and observe physical distancing, said Candice Iyog, Vice President for Marketing and Customer Experience at Cebu Pacific.
Wearing of face masks
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All passengers will also be required to wear face masks upon entry at the airport terminal and for the duration of the flight.
Cabin filters for viruses
CEB’s fleet of Airbus jets are also equipped with High-Efficiency Particulate Arrestor (HEPA) filters capable of filtering microscopic bacteria and virus clusters, including the novel coronavirus. They have 99.99% efficiency, similar to those used in hospital operating rooms.
“We hope for our passengers’ understanding as we implement new measures for our restart. Please rest assured that we will continue to review these processes and continue to deliver the warm, friendly service Cebu Pacific is known for,” Iyog added.
CEB intends to resume commercial operations, after almost two months of temporary suspension, while Metro Manila and other regions are under community quarantine. The carrier may initially restart with a limited number of domestic flights, subject to regulations to and from its destinations.

Staff Report

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