The Covid 19 pandemic made us implement a strict and mandatory hygiene and cleaning measures, in addition to the operational and technical safety procedures that have already been adopted by the entire chain on tourism business.

Some of the tips below have been publicized by ANVISA and ANAC websites and the main objective is guiding the customers on new air travel procedures. We want them to feel more comfortable and safer if they need to travel.

As general recommendations, everyone should take the following measures to prevent Covid-19:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. If you do not have access to soap and water or when your hands are not visibly dirty, use 70% alcohol gel (or hand sanitizer).
• Use disposable tissue paper for nasal hygiene.
• Cover your nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing and after, wash your hands with soap.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth without proper cleaning your hands.
• Keep a distance of at least 2 meters from others.
• Use reusable fabric masks covering the mouth and nose, making the correct cleaning and disinfection of the fabric masks.

BEFORE THE TRIP

Situation at destination.

Before purchasing your airline ticket, make sure you have as much information as possible about the situation at your destination and follow the guidelines of your local public health authorities.

Use of mask throughout the trip

The mask is an essential safety accessory which should be worn at the airports and inside the airplane. The use of the mask is a protection for passengers, other travelers, people who work at airports and crew members. Everyone should arrive at the airport already with the protection mask, which can be made of fabric.

Internet check-in

The best recommendation for reducing risk exposure is to check in early, or over the internet but if it is not possible then the recommendation is to maintain a minimum social distance of up to 2 meters between passengers who need assistance for boarding check-in.

Alcohol in gel or hand sanitizer

The product can and should be used during air travel. But you must pay attention to the rules for carrying it: it is limited with no more than 500 ml by hand luggage with the closure caps in perfect condition to prevent leakage. In the case of international flights, the alcohol gel bottles must be transparent plastic bottle and with a maximum capacity of 100ml.

AT THE AIRPORT

Hands Sanitization

In addition to the use of gel alcohol, washing your hands with soap and water is a very important habit. To keep the hands clean, passengers and crew will have the airports and airplanes always equipped with water, soap and alcohol gel bottles.

Distance between people

Whenever possible, it should be observed the distance of approximately 2 meters between passengers in queues and common spaces at the airport.

Airport seating

The same rule for distance in the rows and in the common places at the airport is suggested for the seats. Thus, the recommendation is for the terminal administration to block part of the seats to avoid physical proximity between passengers waiting for their flights.

Avoid crowds

The general guideline is to avoid crowds, especially at food courts, when checking in and disembarking from airplanes.

Airport bathroom

Airport bathroom must be kept clean with complete disinfection at least 3 times a day. The bathrooms must always be supplied with liquid soap, running water and paper towels.

Airport cleaning

Airport areas and equipment must be frequently cleaned and disinfected with reinforcement for cleaning places with high touch contact, such as elevator bottoms, handrails, armrest, luggage trolleys, escalator, drinking fountains and bathroom door handles.

INSIDE THE AIRPLANE

Safety on board

The Brazilian airplane fleet have developed a filtration system that renews the air every 3 minutes and captures about 99% of the particles in the air but keep your mask the entire flight.

Be careful when disembarking

Boarding and disembarkation are the stages of air travel that deserve special attention to reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection. After landing, the passenger must remain seated until allowed to stand up and leave the airplane following the direction of the crew.

On-board service

When there is an on-board service, flight attendants must take additional precautions, such as reducing the food handling and displacement in the airplane. Priority should be given to food and beverages served by individual closed trays but sanitized before serving.

Aircraft cleaning

Before each boarding, the cleaning and disinfection of the airplane must cover bathroom surfaces, armrests, seat belts, dining tables, touchscreen screens, air conditioning ventilation system and bottoms, flight attendant bottom, individual light buttons, door handles (bathrooms and hand luggage compartments) and windows.

DISEMBARKING

• Wait for the call while seated.
• When leaving the airplane, wait for the Commander Pilot’s call and doors to open then stand up and prepare to leave.
• Keep the social distance during the disembarking.
• When removing your luggage or requesting transportation to leave the airport, always keep distance. It is also important to avoid crowds on arrival, so pick up drivers and family members should not remain at arrival lounge area.

GUIDANCE TO TRAVELERS WITH A DESTINATION ABROAD

The National Health Surveillance Agency advises making non-essential trips because many countries have adopted travel or border restrictions so many airlines are suspending flights and airports are closing. New restrictions can be imposed with little notice, thus the travel plans can suffer serious interruptions and the traveler might be forced to stay overseas for longer than expected.

However, if you still need to travel overseas, follow the guidelines below:

• Before traveling, check the COVID 19 Health Alert Notifications and get to know the health risks at your destination.
• Understand the risks of your safety and protection abroad.
• Make sure you have enough financial resources to meet your basic needs, including medicines.

With these recommendations you can rest assure that the air transport chain has been duly prepared to guarantee a safe travel.

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