ACI World launches mobile app for global COVID-19 health measures

Airports Council International (ACI) World has launched a new smartphone app which provides passengers with information about the health measures in place at individual airports around the world as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As travel restrictions are gradually lifted, many new health-related measures have been implemented at airports in response to COVID-19. ACI World’s new Check & Fly app provides a way for airports to communicate to passengers directly as to what to expect when they plan to travel, helping them to meet any requirements and making their journeys smoother and more efficient.

The app compliments ACI’s new Airport Health Accreditation programme, which provides an assessment of measures in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) recommendations and in alignment with the joint European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) Aviation Health Safety Protocol and Airports Council International Europe’s (ACI Europe) Guidelines for a Healthy Passenger Experience at Airports.

ACI World‘s Director General, Luis Felipe de Oliveira, said: “The recovery of air travel will rely on passenger confidence in the industry’s focus on their health and welfare, and the Check & Fly app helps to communicate directly with passengers about the health and hygiene measures that have been introduced. Airports are vital cogs in the aviation ecosystem and – as important engines of growth, wealth creation and employment – the recovery of the airport sector will be a significant driver of the global economic recovery.”

He added: “ACI is supporting airports with programmes like Check & Fly and Airport Health Accreditation to help them demonstrate to passengers, regulators and governments that they are prioritising health and safety in a measurable, established manner. Collaboration remains key to a globally-coordinated recovery and we are grateful to our members for the partnership we have forged to deliver this important tool which will contribute to the rebuilding of passenger confidence in air travel.”

The data is also available via an Application Programming Interface (API) based on the Aviation Community Recommended Information Services (ACRIS) standard that enables third parties, such as airlines and app developers, to access data. 

In addition to the app and API, to help airports to communicate with passengers, ACI is developing a web-based portal where passengers can directly access information about the measures in place at individual airports.

Once completed, airports will provide information directly into the service via a web-based portal which can be accessed by passengers through the web (or the app). This will assist them to better prepare for their journeys.