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It
was not that long ago that the airline and travel industry were debating
how to make planes more secure and even whether armed officials should
be allowed on board as an additional security measure.
Since
September 11, a lot has happened and it would have been impossible to
have predicted that only a year and a half later the airlines would be
looking at an altogether different kind of security threat - SARS. Airlines
are constantly adapting their passenger screening process following
their own countries guidelines and that of the WHO. Finnair
is distributing masks in-flight, as is JAL and other airlines and today Thai Airways International
announced it is to place medical personnel on board certain non
overnight flights in order to screen passengers and try to help stop the
spread of the virus. THAI
also announced that its Station Managers in countries considered to be affected areas
are to coordinate with
local public health ministries or the disease control
department in these countries and arrange for public
health personnel to assist THAI staff in screening passengers for SARS related symptoms, in order to accurately determine whether the concerned
passenger will be allowed to board THAI’s aircraft.
THAI's
Station Managers will also coordinate with the government function under the public health
ministry or the disease control department of each respective country with a
SARS outbreak, requesting the function concerned to issue an announcement to passengers planning flight departures from that country to
carry a current health certificate ensuring they are fit to travel, before flying
THAI flights. |
