An infrared temperature check combined with hand sanitiser device at a security check in Nội Bài International Airport. — VNS Photo Paul Kennedy

Hà Phương

HÀ NỘI  — Nội Bài International Airport is preparing the best conditions to ensure COVID-19 safety when it welcomes back a large number of passengers as things gradually ease back to normal, according to the airport authority.

Following a decision by the Ministry of Transport issued on Wednesday, domestic flights are set to resume to full capacity by the end of November. Since Thursday, all airlines have opened ticket sales on most domestic routes and plan to resume their activities to the level before the fourth outbreak, by the end of next month.

As the second biggest airport in the country, on a normal day before the latest outbreak, Nội Bài accommodated thousands of people and hundreds of flights, and thus is considered a very high risk area.

The airport authority said all necessary measures are in place to ensure COVID prevention and control to prepare for the restoration of business activities.

Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân, Deputy Director of Nội Bài International Airport told Việt Nam News: “Nội Bài International Airport has a centralised management system at the Airport Operation Control Center to coordinate activities of all units at the airport, with 2000 surveillance cameras that continuously transmit data to us.

“We can monitor the entire movements of passengers through that camera system and this helps us quickly track the movements of F0 cases when they are detected so that all units operating at the airport can carry out pandemic prevention and control measures according to regulations.”

“As soon as passengers or family members enter the terminal, there is an automatic temperature checking system, which is monitored by security staff to ensure 100 per cent of passengers and family members when entering the terminal do not have temperatures exceeding 37.5 degrees,” Ngân added.

“Anyone with temperatures above that will be refused check in, and the security staff will coordinate with the emergency medical staff to handle them according to the pandemic prevention and control procedures."

A system of infrared temperature checks combined with hand sanitiser is also installed at all security check points as well as boarding gates.

To guarantee safety for passengers and staff, 95 per cent of staff members at the airport and 100 per cent of those having direct contact with passengers have been fully vaccinated, Ngân added.

“All staff have to make health declarations before starting their daily shifts and are fully equipped with pandemic prevention equipment in accordance with regulations of the Ministry of Health,” Ngân said.

According to the Ministry of Transport decision, passengers who are living in or spending time before a flight at a locality defined as at COVID-19 level 4 (very high risk) must present a negative test result within 72 hours before the flight.

This also applies to those living in medical isolation areas or passengers departing from Tân Sơn Nhất and Cần Thơ airport.

Other passengers need to meet one of the three conditions as follows: having a certificate of two doses of COVID-19 vaccine; or having a certificate of recovery from COVID-19 or a hospital discharge certificate not older than 6 months; or having a negative test result within 72 hours.

All passengers must make medical declarations and complete a commitment paper on COVID-19 pandemic prevention before check-in.

Ngân said to ensure smooth flights and help reduce the risks of virus transmission due to overcrowding, passengers should prepare well in advance before going to the airport.

“In the future, when flights are restored, check-in staff will have to do a lot of steps to check all necessary documents for passengers. Therefore, passengers’ cooperation is very much needed,” she said.

“Everyone should prepare in advance anything that can be prepared at home, such as online check-in, automatic health declaration, filling out a form on committing to preventing COVID-19 pandemic to submit to medical staff, and other papers such as certificates of two doses of vaccine, to make sure that you have everything needed before going to the check-in area to avoid wasting time and unnecessary congestion.” — VNS