EASA AND ECDC PUBLISH COVID-19 HEALTH SAFETY PROTOCOL
June 8, 2020
On May 21, 2020, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published a new COVID-19 Aviation Health Safety Protocol, a set of technical health and safety guidelines for the aviation sector during the pandemic, available here. These guidelines had previously been announced as forthcoming by the European Commission in its Guidelines on the Progressive Restoration of Transport Services and Connectivity of May 13, 2020.
EASA and ECDC emphasize that basic public health precautions remain the principal line of defense against COVID-19 transmission in air transportation. For travelers, social distancing of 1.5. meters or greater is recommended wherever possible, along with hand hygiene, avoiding unnecessary contact with surfaces, respiratory etiquette (e.g., covering coughs and sneezes), and mandatory wearing of masks from the moment travelers enter the terminal building, through flight, and until the time they leave at their destination. Airport authorities are encouraged to intensify cleaning of high touch surfaces, optimize ventilation, discourage congregation by travelers, use non-contact check-in methods, require protective equipment wearing by employees, and provide barriers between staff and the public. Aboard aircraft, air crews are encouraged to minimize contact with passengers through reduced food and beverage service, ensure maximum ventilation, conduct intensified cleaning according to best practices, and isolate passengers who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms during flight. In addition, use of passenger locator cards to collect contact tracing information is encouraged, though EASA/ECDC note that, “States will need to assess whether the transfer of passenger location data from airlines to public health authorities complies with the requirements under the General Data Protection Legislation (GDPR), taking into account the legal requirements under their national law.”
The guidelines take a cautious approach to novel technological health interventions as scientific knowledge continues to evolve. For example, “immunity passports” based on immunological testing are discouraged based on their current rates of reliability. On the issue of temperature screening, EASA/ECDC discourage the unnecessary use of public health resources on screening, noting the possibility of false positive and negative screens as well as the possibility for transmission of COVID-19 by asymptomatic travelers. Nevertheless, the guidance acknowledges that European national authorities may implement temperature screening measures in their local law, and accordingly provides recommendations such as screening travelers immediately upon entering a terminal, and not repatriating passengers on commercial flights who are stopped by entry screens.
If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6622); Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6665), or Andy Orr (aorr@eckertsemans.com or 202-659-6625).
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