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#WeAreAviation: support, resilience and continuity in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic

The global outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) has hit the world of aviation hard. Amid the rapid spread of the infectious disease and the declaration of a state of emergency in many world regions, air passenger travel has been vastly reduced or suspended.

The impact upon Europe’s airports has been unprecedented. More passengers were lost to European airports during the month of March 2020 than during the entire financial crisis of 2009.

The air transport sector has proven its ability to adjust in the past and in the current situation, supports the fight against Covid-19 with what it does best: transporting people and goods to where they are needed, whilst at the same time gearing up for the moment when we can begin our return to normality.

This page explores the vital role airports are playing in shifting medical equipment and staff, repatriating travellers and contributing to maintaining supply chains during the Covid-19 crisis. It also shows the remarkable resilience, bravery and optimism of the airport workforce – and their role in the communities they serve. The examples featured are not exhaustive but provide a snapshot of what the industry is doing – with much more being done in all parts of the world.

 

At the heart of communities Transporting essential goods & medical equipment  Serving rescue and emergency missions 
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Ensuring a safe and healthy environment Bringing stranded passengers back home  Supporting their business partners 
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Expressing gratitude to front line workers 

Keeping spirits high

Welcoming passengers again
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 At the heart of communities 

Even in the face of a radical shift of business, airports remain "plugged into" the communities they serve. They strive to preserve jobs they have created as essential engines for industry and societal connectivity in their regions. Despite difficult economic times, airports continue to give back to communities with essential services and charitable donations. 

 

Southampton Airport

With vital travel restrictions reducing its operating hours and flight programme, Southampton Airport is putting its resources to good use – using its 3D printer to create adjustable straps for face masks for NHS staff.

The adjustable flexible straps have been donated to Southampton General Hospital to help provide some comfort to the incredible medical staff working tirelessly to help others.

Read more

NHS 3D mask straps

Brussels Airport

Brussels Airport lends the necessary equipment in order to implement social distancing measures to the local children's hospital. 

Isavia 

The Icelandic airport operator Isavia joined forces with the Landspítali Hospital in the fight against COVID-19. As of now there are nine employees from Airport Security Department of Isavia at Keflavík Airport that have started working at the hospital.

Glasgow Airport

AGS Airports, which owns and manages Glasgow Airport, has responded to the #GiveHope appeal launched by homeless charity, Simon Community Scotland, by pledging £40,000 which will be used to support some of the most vulnerable people in society during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Read more

Edinburgh Airport

Kevin Myles, one of Edinburgh Airport's engineers helped raise funds for 75 food hampers to be delivered to elderly and vulnerable villagers in North Queensferry.

 AENA

Aena donates 2 million euros to the Higher Council for Scientific Research to contribute to research projects that try to tackle COVID-19.

To this figure will be added the voluntary contributions of employees through the ‘solidarity payroll’ initiative.

Cork Airport

Cork Airport donates food to Cork Penny Dinners! 

 London Heathrow Airport

The Heathrow Community Trust is set to release £95,000 funding for local community groups responding to COVID19.

The airport has also donated 6,000 FFP2 respiratory health masks to their local NHS teams at Thames Valley Air Ambulance and Hillingdon Hospital. 

Swedavia  

Swedavia will this week deliver approximately 100,000 disposable gloves, 1,000 goggles and 100 respirators to health facilities around the country in the fight against Covid-19. "Airport managers at our airports are now collecting the equipment they can spare – protective equipment or anything else that might be used – to donate to appropriate medical facilities locally in the region," says Marie Wiksborg, Director of Business Support and Security at Swedavia.

Teesside International Airport

Staff from Teesside International Airport have donated all perishable food from its cafés, originally intended for passengers, to workers at nearby Darlington Memorial Hospital.

Read more

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Luxembourg Airport

Food donations also took off locally at Luxembourg Airport. 

Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport

An employee from Lyon-Saint Exupery Maintenance and Innovation team is behind the exceptional production of badge-holder armbands and visors for the medical staff of the South Lyon University Hospital. Thanks to the airport's 3D printer and its resourcefulness, an order of 130 armbands as well as visors was successfully delivered to the Hospital Emergency Department. Lyon-Saint Exupéry also donated 15,000 single-use gloves to HCL (Lyon hospitals).

Read more

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Gatwick Airport, Edinburgh Airport, Glasgow Airport, Stansted Airport, Aberdeen Airport, Bristol Airport

A number of airports in the UK have turned their premises into coronavirus testing centres, supporting the national effort to combat the spread of the virus. Click on the links below to read more about each airport's example.

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Gatwick Airport

Edinburgh Airport

Glasgow Airport

Stansted Airport

Aberdeen Airport

 Bristol Airport

 

 

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 Transporting essential goods & medical equipment 

 

Europe's airports remain open despite facing liquidity issues and operating with skeleton teams. As critical infrastructure, their mission is to facilitate the supply of medical equipment, crucial to tackling the spread of the virus, and keeping vital supply chains running intact.

 

London Luton Airport

The cargo team at London Luton Airport is working around the clock to ensure crucial deliveries of PPE and other medical equipment reach the National Health Service and other focal destinations safely and efficiently. 

Doncaster Sheffield Airport

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for NHS arrives at Doncaster Sheffield Airport. The airport is one of many aviation organisations pivoting its core business in response to the coronavirus, delivering essential supplies such as perishables, medical supplies and providing a rapid response to deliver critical Personal Protective Equipment to the NHS frontline.

Read more

Warsaw Chopin Airport

Although regular traffic has drastically decreased, Warsaw Chopin Airport still provides support to flights with medical transports as part of #CargoForPoland and repatriation flights, such as this Kuwaiti visit paid by Jazeera Airways.

 

Munich Airport

These days A350s landing at Munich Airport are filled to the brim with protective masks! Shipments will continue through mid-May. 

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Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

For several weeks, cargo flights have been operating at Paris-CDG to transport medical equipment to fight the coronavirus epidemic and to transport goods to and from the world necessary for daily life and industry.

Zagreb Airport

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol 

The Dutch hub takes a massive delivery of protective medical equipment.  

SEA Milan Airports 

Chinese delegation of 7 doctors, 3 nurses and 3 technicians with all the materials for Lombard hospitals arrived in Malpensa Airport.
China sent over 400,000 masks, 5,000 medical protective clothing and ventilators, in addition to gloves, protective glasses, monitors, protective clothing, disinfectants and much more.

Heathrow Airport

Heathrow Airport will become a vital hub for medical supplies flying into the UK as part of plans to refocus its operations in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Cargo flights bringing in almost half of the country’s healthcare equipment and pharmaceutical products, including respirators and testing kits, will be prioritised as the CEO of the airport said that they have additional space “for the first time in a decade”.

Every year sees 34 per cent of the UK’s cargo handled at Heathrow, but from next week the capacity will be increased by 53 per cent compared to its usual weekly average.

Read more 

 

AENA

 

Budapest Airport

BUD remains open for servicing repurposed charter flights into medical supply shipments. 

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Dublin Airport

Essential Delta flight carrying pharma cargo arrives at Dublin Airport. 

Lithuanian Airports

Lithuanian Airports remain vital air gateways to the country not only for incoming shipments of medical supplies, but also for other freight that people and industries depend on.

 

Geneva Airport

Every day, 3 million masks are delivered at the Swiss hub. 

 

 

 

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 Serving rescue, emergency and medical aid missions 

 

Lyon Bron Airport

Four doctors depart from Lyon Bron Airport to offer their invaluable expertise and service in the fight against COVID-19 in Strasbourg.

 

Tirana International Airport

A team of 60 Albanian nurses departed Tirana International Airport with the flight of Air Albania to Rome to assist the neighbouring country in the fight against the COVID-19.

Cork Airport

The Irish Coast Guard Rescue 115 recently landed at Cork Airport after conducting a long range medical evacuation from a Spanish fishing boat off the south west coast.

Groupe ADP

The French airport operator Groupe ADP is servicing evacuation flights for patients infected with COVID-19 in the remote regions of the country where their access to medical assistance is limited. 

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 Ensuring a safe and healthy environment 

 

Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport

Frequent and thorough disinfection happens on a daily at France's busiest (in normal circumstances) hub. Here is how they do it: 

Zurich Airport

Masks and disinfectants instead of M&M's and soda? Everything for the safety of air travellers! Zurich Airport took the delivery of the first safety stations in Switzerland. 

VINCI Airports

The global network of airports implemented by VINCI puts priority on creating a healthful environment for their passengers. Safety first!  

Zagreb Airport

Croatia's main hub is ready to welcome passengers again having implemented clear signage to respect the social distance needed for a safe and healthy journey! 

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

The major hub is cleaned thoroughly every day - watch this video to find out the deets of this healthy routine! 

 

Heathrow Airport

Accessible signage has been put in place throughout Heathrow's terminals in a bid to help passengers follow the necessary safety instructions. 

 

Aena

Here is a snapshot of disinfection work carried out daily at Menorca Airport. 

 

 

Aeroporti di Roma

Extensive sanitisation procedures at the main gateways to Rome operated by Aeroporti di Roma guarantee safe arrivals for 8000 returning passengers daily. 

 IGA Airport

 Here is a breakdown of thorough sanitary measures taken against the Covid-19 spread at Istanbul Airport.

SEA Milan Airports 

Ensuring the safety of workers and passengers, even with reduced airport operations, is Milan Airports' priority. A commitment that began with the supply of specific PPE, disposable gloves and FFP2 masks to all staff, that constantly monitor the distance between passengers, indicating the right measures to respect.

Tirana International Airport

Message from Chief Executive Officer of Tirana International Airport, Dr. Constanting von Alvensleben. 

 

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 Bringing stranded passengers back home 

Airports' play a key role in creating a safe environment for travellers coming back home from risk areas. Considerable resources are being put in place in order to avoid contagion at their premises, including rearrangement of space and thorough sanitisation. 

 

Tbilisi Airport

The main gateway to the capital city of Georgia continues to serve repatriation flights, bringing back fellow citizens to their fatherland. 

  

Prague Airport

Václav Havel Prague Airport remains open for all arrivals and departures. Thanks to this, a total of 44 special flights could land here in the last month, carrying up to 1,200 tons of medical supplies. Since 18 March, Prague Airport has also handled a total of 33 repatriation arrivals and departures with passengers on board. Within their framework, more than 3,600 passengers arrived in the Czech Republic, mostly Czech citizens returning home from abroad to their families and loved ones. Conversely, approximately 900 foreign nationals were able to travel back home from the Czech Republic.   

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

Brussels Airport 

 

Cork Airport

Cork Airport remains open to help with the repatriation of Irish Citizens. 

Cork Airport

Moscow Domodedovo Airport

Moscow Domodedovo Airport in Russia has implemented precautionary measures to limit the spread of Covid-19 coronavirus in the airport. The airport has started using audio-visual channels that will inform passengers on how to protect themselves from the coronavirus. Moscow Domodedovo Airport installed posters in the departure and arrival halls and plays audio messages every 15 minutes. In addition, in the departure and arrival halls, hand sanitising stations will be provided for domestic and international passengers. The airport has added special markings at the check-in counters and security checkpoints indicating a distance of 1.5 metres to ensure social distancing between passengers. Domodedovo Airport added that it has installed other technologies to permit the use of electronic boarding passes.

Read more

ANA Aeroportos de Portugal

ANA Aeroportos de Portugal has implemented several hygiene and safety measures to contain the new coronavirus at Portuguese airports. ANA follows the guidelines and recommendations of the Directorate-General of Health (DGS), for the protection of its workers and passengers, so that everyone gets home well.

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 Supporting business partners 

 

Swedavia

Swedavia continues to assist tenants through expanded rent relief measures for some 100 businesses at its airports. As early as mid-March, Swedavia introduced rent relief measures for some 50 businesses with restaurants and retail shops at Swedavia’s airports. Last week, Swedavia also took the decision to make full use of the government’s aid package for rent relief but also to expand this assistance by introducing rent relief for some 50 businesses not covered by the government’s aid package.

Read more

Aena

Spanish airports operator AENA has stopped collecting rent payments from its commercial leaseholders amid the Covid-19 pandemic. 

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MAD duty free

Aena has also decided to waive the cost of airport charges for the hundred cargo flights that have transported the necessary medical equipment to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

Read more (in Spanish)

aena airport charges waiver for medical cargo

Copenhagen Airports

Copenhagen airport’s operator is allocating two of its three runways to aircraft parking while the coronavirus crisis persists, as airlines seek to ground large proportions of their fleet.
The operator says it expects a “high double-digit” number of aircraft to be parked at the Danish capital hub “before long”, and that the parking issue is a “pressing challenge”.
It will maintain flight access by keeping a single runway, 22L/04R, in operation for departures and arrivals.

Read more

CPH parking runways

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 Expressing gratitude to front line workers 

 

Frankfurt Airport

In cooperation with ADV (German Airport Association) and other European airports Frankfurt Airport has created a video thanking all the “heroes” in these hard times (frontline airport employees, doctors, post office staff, supermarket cashiers, etc.).

  

Birmingham Airport

On 28th April, Birmingham Airport stopped its activities for a minute of silence to honour the heroes who lost their lives in the fight against COVID-19. 

 

Gatwick Airport

Aena

Spanish airports thank all the groups that work tirelessly at the airports. And, of course, those of you who stay home so that, together, we can stop COVID-19.

Keflavik Airport

The A shift fire department at Keflavik Airport did the front line dance challenge dedicated to nurses, healthcare professionals and emergency respondents around the world.

Brussels Airport

A round of applause and a water salute from Brussels Airport to thank everyone who makes a difference in the daily fight against COVID-19.

London Stansted Airport

A message of thanks to all front line workers working day in day out at London Stansted Airport. 

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 Keeping spirits high 

In times of global health crisis, mental wellbeing can be compromised on many levels. The tough regimes of restrictions in movement and social gatherings, the dire impact of lockdowns on the local and global economy as well as general uncertainty may have a detrimental impact on our psychological health. It is therefore all the more important to counter the negative stream of information with messages of reassurance.  

 

Glasgow Airport

Even during lockdown Glasgow Airport stays connected with its most important fans! Two young aviation fans got the chance to chat and put their questions to one of Glasgow Airport’s top bosses via video link. Ross McMillan, 10, and his brother Ryan, seven, are huge fans of the airport and regularly post pictures of their love of planes on the airport’s social media channels.

Jersey Airport

What better way to keep endorphines flowing than engaging in a bit of physical exercise? Need inspiration? Jersey Airport's Firefighting Team organises weekly High Intensity Interval Training sessions available from the comfort of your home! Check it out for yourselves. 

  

Edinburgh Airport

The Scottish gateway rekindles aviation dreams within the confines of our living rooms. Want to feel the thrill of flight again? First, you need to build yourself a plane ;). 

 

Athens International Airport

Athens International Airport (AIA) is inviting all to join its #mycityviewchallenge launched on social media to create a “virtual” digital album of cities “from the inside – out”.The first city of the challenge will be Athens – #mycityviewathens.

Dublin Airport

Sharing a moment of wonder in a true spirit of travelling without moving to the lush Irish landscapes. 

Bergerac Airport

Is France high on your list of next destinations to visit? Bergerac Airport proudly presents the gems of its region throughout the confinement.  

Brussels Airport

Brussels Airport CEO, Arnaud Feist sends his grattitude and appreciation for the airport community. United we stand stronger! 

Zurich Airport

Zurich Airport remains open! 

Riga Airport

Light-hearted message of support to the entire industry from Latvia's busiest airport. 

Hermes Airports

The Cypriot airport operator has chosen to spread positive vibes on their social media channels. Here is a snapshot of their posts. 

 

 

 

 

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 Welcoming passengers again 

 

Brussels Airport

The heart of Brussels is ready to open its doors to passengers. Here is what they've implemented while you were away. 

Frankfurt Airport 

FRA is ready to fly safely again with the brand new signage and comprehensive safety measures implemented in its terminals. 

Paris Orly Airport

How quickly can the Paris Orly Airport team be ready to welcome travellers back to their terminals?

  

Keflavik International Airport

The gateway to Iceland looks forward to welcoming travellers again. 

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Glasgow Airport

Not decided yet which destination will be the first one you visit after the lockdown? Glasgow Airport has got you covered. We got Verona and are already looking forward to it! 

 

Budapest Airport

The award-winning airline marketing team from Budapest Airport shares the beauty of the city they connect to the world.

Groupe ADP

Groupe ADP shared a message of reassurance, while Paris Orly Airport closed its doors temporarily. 

 

 

TAV Airports

 

 

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