A recent news article recounted the fact that despite the many extra measures taken by major airlines, many are still reluctant to travel by air.
According to a U.S. Bureau of Transportation statistics release in September, passenger air travel was down by 73% in July. That was an improvement over the previous three months compared year over year. The Labor Day holiday weekend saw a significant increase in airport traffic with the highest number of travelers since March. However, overall, August and September were down an average of 70% compared to the previous year and the number of passengers flying is only about one-third of what before the pandemic struck.
Most airlines realize that regaining the confidence of customers relies on proactive and vigorous efforts to safeguard health amid enduring fears of COVID-19. In the same way as the flying public needed time to adapt to restrictions in air travel that were put in place after the September 11 terrorist attacks, they will also have to become accustomed to new processes in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Passengers need assurances that the aviation industry is performing all necessary tasks to ensure passenger safety. Certainly, public trust will be the key to recovery for all businesses and corporations in the wake of COVID-19.
Many airlines are, in fact, taking this to heart and are taking such measures as using advanced air filtration systems and utilizing electrostatic disinfecting spraying after each flight, as well as requiring face masks, maintaining safe spacing of passengers in the cabin, and eliminating seating in middle seats
Both employees and customers need to know that there are comprehensive and visible processes being undertaken to ensure their health throughout the entire process of going to an airport and flying to their destination. Airline industry employees as well, need to know that as they return to work, their safety is also being considered, through health and safety processes instituted by their employer.
Airlines aren’t unique – All businesses need strengthened health and safety processes
To safely reopen everyday operations and reestablish customer confidence, all businesses require greater situational awareness, communications, and monitoring and tracking capabilities than ever before.
Online platforms for situational awareness, whether used for day-to-day operations or during a crisis are especially critical in streamlining an effective response to any incident, and should provide:
- A comprehensive common operating picture that allows access to real-time information and GIS mapping capabilities, across multiple locations
- Dashboards that offer at-a-glance views of critical information and strategic data, operational status, resources available, and key performance indicators
- A centralized workflow system for managing tasks, assignments, forms, and reports
- Access to real-time information on all devices, including mobile, or laptop, from any location
- Streamlined communication capabilities for effective collaboration with employees and stakeholders, first responders, and emergency management agencies
Tracking capabilities are especially critical both for ensuring health and safety related to COVID-19, as well as supporting effective decision making and response during natural disasters or other emergencies.
For the air travel industry, emergency management platforms can help track passenger, crew member, and manifest data, as well as monitor customer and employee interactions. By improving data management and visibility capabilities, relevant parties can be notified quickly, and appropriate aid can be organized and deployed.
Using a critical incident management platform allows businesses and organizations to respond more effectively to any crisis by centralizing key data information to improve emergency preparedness and response throughout the duration of the pandemic and beyond.
With a solution like WebEOC Workplace that combines emergency preparedness and response solutions with pandemic-specific workflows, such as contact tracing and case management, businesses can more effectively and safely address the challenges of returning to normal operations while staying prepared for any unexpected event.
Learn more about WebEOC Workplace here or contact us to schedule a demonstration.
