The Airports Council International (ACI) has agreed to renew its Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) certificate granted to Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, according to information released on November 16.

The AHA program aims to introduce passengers to the international airports that have met the international standards for pandemic prevention and given first and foremost priority to the health safety of their passengers in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Noi Bai International Airport has enforced quarantine and prevention work against Covid-19 for the past time to ensure absolute safety for passengers and its staff. Photo: Duong Giang

“Noi Bai International Airport has applied safety protocol to its operations and check-in procedures at the airport to make it safe during the Covid-19 pandemic,” said the ACI.

In a letter sent to Noi Bai on November 12, General Director of ACI Luis Felipe de Oliveira said the certificate shows that the set measures, processes, and individual steps applied at the airport meet the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as well as guidelines of the ACI.

"Noi Bai International Airport provides safe experiences for all passengers, complying with the ACI Aviation Business Restart and Recovery guidelines and ICAO Council Aviation Restart Task Force recommendations along with industry best practices", Luis Felipe de Oliveira wrote.

The AHA program is supported by the ICAO and, since it was launched in July 2020, more than 600 airports of all sizes have signed up to the program. The accreditation is valid for 12 months and airports will be re-accredited for another 12 months.

Noi Bai International Airport was awarded the AHA certificate last November for implementing a high level of screening measures to enhance safety for passengers.

It has become the first airport in Vietnam to receive the ACI’s health accreditation for its safety measures against Covid-19.

In order to receive the AHA certification, the airport had to undergo a strict assessment of health safety measures at the airport, including cleaning and disinfection procedures, physical distancing, staff protection, physical layout, passenger communications, and passenger facilities.

The airport has also increased the frequency of cleaning and launched a major educational campaign among passengers and employees on the pandemic. Its long-term efforts have now borne fruit, which proves that the set protection measures work, eliminating travel risks, and thus increasing the flight safety operation of the airport.

Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) Dinh Viet Thang said that the AHA certificate is not only a recognition of ACI but also a recognition of the international community for Airports Corporation of Vietnam in carrying out effective measures to ensure safety against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nguyen Duc Hung, Director of Noi Bai International Airport stressed that the AHA certification has demonstrated the great effort of the airport’s staff in enforcing measures against the Covid-19 pandemic.

"It will motivate our staff to provide better and safer services for passengers,” Hung said.

The ACI is the only global trade representative of the world’s airports. Established in 1991, it represents airports' interests with Governments and international organizations such as ICAO, develops standards, policies, and recommended practices for airports, as well as provides information and training opportunities to raise standards around the world.