AGS Airports, which owns and manages Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports, has introduced a series of health measures to provide a safe environment for staff and passengers. The measures are being introduced as a number of airlines prepare to relaunch key domestic routes later this month. 

Passengers travelling through the airports will be asked to come prepared with their own facial coverings whilst all staff will be provided with personal protective equipment (PPE), including face masks. Protective screens have been installed in key areas, including the check-in and security halls, and passengers will be asked to observe safe, physical distancing wherever possible.

AGS has also enhanced its already thorough cleaning regimes with a specific focus on the regular disinfecting of all hard surfaces. Other additional health measures include:

• The use of electrostatic fogging machines which disinfect surfaces within two minutes. 
• Passenger touchpoints, including security trays, are being treated with an antimicrobial product which kills germs and lasts for up to 30 days on surfaces. It has been tested to be more than 99.99% effective against COVID-19.  
• Self-cleaning stations for trollies have been set-up in baggage halls.
• Hand sanitiser dispensers have been installed throughout the terminals.
• Floor markers are in place across the terminals to help passengers physically distance where it is possible to do so.
• Staff have received training on how to protect customers and colleagues against COVID-19.
• Clear signage is in place advising of the measures.

Crucially, anyone who is displaying Coronavirus symptoms is being asked not to travel to the airports.

Derek Provan, chief executive of AGS Airports, said: “Our airports have remained open throughout this pandemic to provide crucial lifeline services. During this time, we’ve worked closely with both the UK and Scottish governments, and their officials, to ensure we follow all health guidance. 

“As the lockdown begins to ease and airlines start to confirm plans to restart domestic connectivity, it’s important we do everything we possibly can to keep our airports clean and safe for our staff and for our passengers. These measures, which are in place at all three of our airports, will ensure we help each other to travel safely through our terminals at a time when we are working to get our country and the economy moving again.”

The strict travel restrictions put in place by various governments in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have, understandably, resulted in the widespread grounding of flights.

With many of our airline partners having completed their repatriation flights and in line with passenger demand, there are now only a limited number of services available from the AGS group of airports (Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton). In light of this and to protect the health and wellbeing of all the staff who work so hard to keep our airports running, we will be introducing temporary restrictions on our operations from 1 April 2020.

To support our country’s response to this accelerating pandemic, Aberdeen and Glasgow airports will continue to support essential services. These will include lifeline links to remote communities in the Highlands and Islands, NHS and air ambulance services, and helicopters for the oil and gas industry. Southampton Airport will similarly support lifeline services to the Channel Islands. Our airports will also cater for those airlines who are continuing to operate. At this stage, it is difficult to say how long these measures will remain in place, however, we will continue to follow all government advice and keep them under constant review.

We are facing extremely challenging times and like all organisations, we have a duty of care to our staff, our business partners and to all those who use our airports. Introducing temporary operating restrictions will allow us to significantly reduce the number of staff who must travel to work.

Alongside this, we are working with our people and their trade union representatives to ensure those employees who will be furloughed during this period will have access to the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. We have also proposed other measures to support the business at this time including temporary pay cuts for all staff including our Board and leadership team, an end to bonus payments, the option for staff to take unpaid leave and the option for reduced working hours.

These have been difficult decisions to take, however, I am absolutely clear they will enable us to protect jobs, protect the health and wellbeing of our employees and ensure AGS Airports is in a strong position to aid our country’s recovery when we emerge from this crisis.