One day before its 92nd birthday, Miami International Airport (MIA) is celebrating early by announcing some newsworthy of applause. In recognition of its health and safety response to the COVID-19 pandemic, MIA is the first airport in Florida, second in the United States and third in North America to be accredited under the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Health Accreditation program. The accreditation is based on evidence that MIA is following best practices and has implemented key measures to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation program assists airports by assessing new health measures and procedures introduced because of the COVID-19 pandemic, in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council Aviation Recovery Task Force recommendations. Areas of assessment for accreditation include cleaning and disinfection, physical distancing (where feasible and practical), staff protection, physical layout, passenger communications and passenger facilities.
The Airport Health Accreditation program is consistent with the recommendations and industry priorities put forward by ACI-NA’s Airport Industry Recovery Advisory Panel in June 2020. As the report recommends, the restart and recovery of the aviation sector will require a consistent and harmonized approach with clear industry standards and good practices.
The Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) is the voice of North American airports, representing local, regional and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada. ACI-NA is the largest of the five worldwide regions of the ACI. Its members represent more than 300 airports operating in the United States and Canada and nearly 400 aviation-related businesses.
“ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation Program promotes best practices and helps align efforts across the industry to harmonize measures, processes and procedures, and I congratulate Miami International Airport in successfully achieving accreditation. The recovery of the industry from the impacts of COVID-19 will require a coordinated, global effort, and Miami International Airport’s accreditation shows that it is committed to high standards of health and hygiene that accord with globally recognized standards and protocols,” said Luis Felipe de Oliveira, ACI World Director General.
Istanbul Airport was the first airport to be accredited through its new Airport Health Accreditation programme.
