Fiji Airways 5 February 2021 – Fiji Airways, Fiji’s National Airline, has been awarded the Diamond certification, the highest standard for travel safeguards in a COVID-19 world by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) and SimpliFlying. The ‘Diamond’ rating is the highest attainable rating in the audit conducted by APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying and offered only to airlines that provide hospital-grade health safety measures. The intensive audit investigates 58 areas across 10 stages of a customer’s airline experience; from online check-in, testing and contact tracing, airport journey, lounge, and onboard experience, and upon arrival at a destination. Fiji Airways becomes the first airline in the world its size to attain the Diamond certification, joining the likes of United Airlines, Etihad Airways, Alaska Airlines, Qatar Airways, Saudia, Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic, and Air Canada.
Fiji Airways Managing Director & CEO, Mr Andre Viljoen welcomed the Diamond rating awarded to the airline: “We are delighted with this recognition by the highly respected certification set-up by APEX powered by SimpliFlying. This is a testament to how seriously we take our Travel Ready programme, which safeguards the health, wellbeing and medical safety of our customers and staff. We have taken over 1,200 health and safety actions across our Group, aligning the complete customer experience to the expectations and requirements for travel in the present environment.”
Mr Viljoen added: “The hundreds of actions that make up Travel Ready were determined by our team, which includes our Aviation Medical Advisor, following extensive research on travel safety measures, close coordination with the Fijian Ministry of Health and guidance from the World Health Organisation (WHO), IATA and ICAO. I must acknowledge Dr James Fong, Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Health & Medical Services, who, along with his team, helped advise us and test our Travel Ready Programme.”
“We were determined to go above and beyond to ensure the best possible care for customers and staff, which is why we introduced medically qualified Customer Wellness Champions to look after everyone’s wellbeing onboard. We are proud that this role is a first for airlines operating in the region, as it underscores our commitment to safety. We have also set ourselves apart by sanitising all check-in luggage on international flights out of our home base, and re-introducing the revolutionary Resort Check-in service at select Fijian resorts for enhanced customer convenience.”
Other actions implemented as part of Travel Ready include; wearing of mandatory Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the crew, mask mandated for customers, use of tracing apps (inbound passengers), increased hygiene measures, hospital-grade sanitisation and cleaning of facilities including aircraft, lounge and catering stores, online check-in facilitation, digitising onboard content, a dedicated Travel Ready Hub to help customers prepare for their journey, as well as a re-designed onboard service to reduce contact and minimise risk.
“Fiji Airways has proven that you do not need to be the largest airline to reach the Diamond ‘hospital-grade’ level, you just have to be relentlessly committed to safety. Fiji Airways’ health safety advancements, including its Travel Ready programme, position the airline ideally for the return of broader air travel bolstered by vaccinated travellers and testing as added layers of protection for the country.” APEX CEO Dr Joe Leader stated. “Having flown Fiji Airways with my family, I look forward to the safest possible reopening of the Fijian islands with the ‘bula’ warmth and welcoming spirit.”
As the largest non-profit airline passenger experience association in the world, APEX leveraged its 42-years of expertise working with SimpliFlying to develop industry standards to increase customer safety as more passengers return to the skies. SimpliFlying has served more than 100 airlines worldwide over the past decade and focused solely in the past year on building brand trust post-pandemic through biosafety measures and testing.
“Fiji Airways has raised the bar for health safety in the industry by initiatives such as Customer Wellness Champions onboard all fights to look after the medical safety and wellbeing of all customers, and sanitisation of all check-in baggage at Nadi airport,” said SimpliFlying CEO Shashank Nigam. “Taking such hospital-grade measures in ensuring health safety will help bolster trust among travellers,” he added.
Details on Fiji Airways’ Travel Programme are available on the airline’s Travel Ready Hub. This includes videos detailing the Travel Ready programme, air filtration and circulation systems on its aircraft and a behind-the-scenes look at aircraft sanitisation. Further information on APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying, including audit areas, is available here.
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