Perdospi: Tightening Commercial Flights From Airport To Cabin

Illustration (Indra Hendriana / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Association of Aviation Medicine Specialists (Perdospi) assessed that allowing commercial flight services for the public for official needs and other urgent needs must be followed by coordinated steps from the airport to the aircraft cabin.

Perdospi Central Management Wawan Mulyawan said this must be done so that the prevention of transmission of COVID-19 remains optimal without neglecting the commercial aspects. At the airport, for example, the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) through the Director General of Disease Prevention and Control must strengthen the Port Health Office (KKP) both in numbers and competence of personnel and equipment.

Furthermore, increasing the competence of KKP personnel is necessary for a quick check. "So that passenger detection and monitoring can be maximized," said Wawan in a written statement, Monday, May 18.

The checking equipment, he said, also needs to be added. In addition, tool calibration must also be carried out regularly so that there are no errors in results.

For people who do not follow the rules, there must be strict action from the security authorities at the airport. Especially those who violate the rules of physical distancing or keep their distance.

In addition, the Minister of Transportation through the Director General of Air Transportation must apply the completeness rules and other requirements for boarding an airplane via the online system before prospective passengers enter the airport. The goal is so that physical distancing can be done.

"So that the check-in process can run quickly and according to the physical distancing rules that have been set. Prospective passengers who clearly do not meet the requirements should have been screened before entering the airport and only special factors, such as new clinical symptoms after submitting online requirements that cause candidates passengers are prevented from flying, "explained Wawan.

Furthermore, to carry out the health protocol, Wawan also asked the airport authorities to always provide a place for washing hands with soap or a hand sanitizer.

He also considered that there should be masks that are given free of charge at the airport to replace the masks previously used by prospective passengers and officers. Because, this mask is very vulnerable to damage or dirty.

"The Airport Authority and Airport Security Authority must implement strict but wise law enforcement for passengers, through a policy of prohibiting or rearranging departures, for the sake of mutual safety and security," he said.

Maintain health in the aircraft cabin

In the aircraft cabin, Wawan said that physical distancing does not need to be interpreted as a limitation on the number of seats that passengers can use. According to him, there are various creative ways to implement this protocol in the aircraft cabin. Including using a faceshield in addition to the obligation to wear a mask.

In addition, providing food and drinks in the airplane seat before passengers sit down, restricting areas and toilets, and providing several rows of seats at the back for patients who suddenly have symptoms of COVID-19 are actually more effective.

"(This, red) will be more effective than providing only 50 percent to 70 percent of passenger seats as suggested by several parties," he said.

In addition, it is necessary to make online instructions for cabin crew and passengers regarding the prevention of Covid-19 transmission, recognition of clinical symptoms, and handling of quarantine on planes. Including always providing medical personnel on the plane to fly, whether a specialist in aviation medicine, general practitioners, or trained nurses should begin to be considered.

Disinfection measures in the aircraft cabin after each flight must also be taken. The goal is that no object is exposed to the corona virus.

"Monitoring of aircraft crews and cabin crew in carrying out physical distancing before and after the flight, or before manning the next flight, must be carried out strictly by the airline," he concluded.