New safety measures in MAS’ Golden Lounge

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Airlines has introduced new safety measures for its Golden Lounge ahead of it reopening on July 8.

They include contactless registration and temperature scanning of guests, providing hand sanitisers, social distancing seating arrangements and capacity monitoring.

Digital food and beverage ordering service via QR code and pre-packed light meals will also be offered while prayer rooms, family rooms and nap rooms will see heightened hygiene protocols.

Malaysia Airlines group chief operations officer Ahmad Luqman Mohd Azmi said the new standard operating procedure (SOP) had received the support and input from the Health Ministry.

“The new initiatives are part of Malaysia Airlines’ vision in ensuring that the health and welfare of customers and employees remains the utmost priority while making sure that our lounges continue to provide a premium and personal experience, ” he said in a statement on Friday.

An inspection of the airline’s Golden Lounge at the KL International Airport was also held in collaboration with the Health Ministry.

The national carrier is also looking into replacing hardcopy media with digital options and to feature safety videos and reminders on all TV screens in its lounges.

Meanwhile, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is urging governments to avoid quarantine measures when reopening their economies.

Its director-general and chief executive officer Alexandre de Juniac said IATA was promoting a layered approach of measures to reduce the risk of countries importing Covid-19 via air travel and to mitigate the risk of transmission in cases where people might travel while unknowingly being infected.

“Quarantine measures play a role in keeping people safe but they will also keep many unemployed.

“The alternative is to reduce risks through a series of measures, ” he said.

He said to reduce the risk of imported cases via travellers could be done by discouraging symptomatic people from travelling and health screening by governments in the form of health declarations.

He also recommended Covid-19 testing for travellers from countries where the rate of new infections were significantly higher.

“It is recommended that tests are undertaken before arrival at the departure airport (so as not to add to airport congestion and avoid the potential for contagion in the travel process) with documentation to prove a negative result, ” de Juniac said.

He also recommended the universal implementation of the Take-off guidelines published by the International Civil Aviation Organisation as a way to mitigate risks.

These include wearing masks throughout the travel process, sanitisation, health declarations and social distancing where possible.

“Contact tracing is also a back-up measure should someone be detected as infected after arrival, ” said de Juniac.