APTRA WELCOMES POSITIVE SIGNS FROM ICAO

Singapore 3 June 2020 APTRA (Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association) is encouraged that a new report from ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) council task force has paved the way for the travel retail and duty free industry to actively plan the tentative recovery of operations in airports.

ICAO published its Aviation Recovery Task Force Report on 1 June, with a range of global recovery guidelines across the aviation sector, including specifics on achieving personal safety standards in airport airside areas. The report supports the facilitation of a measured approach to retail and food & beverage operations in airports.

Sunil Tuli, President of APTRA outlines the approach APTRA made in May to ICAO. “Since the outbreak of Covid-19, APTRA has accelerated our advocacy work, this time campaigning with ICAO representatives in Asia Pacific as part of a wider campaign to 26 governments across the region. We wrote to Ms Fang Liu, ICAO council Secretary General, explaining the essential role our industry plays in the aviation ecosystem asking for ICAO recognition of the unique dynamics of our industry and in considering measures to enable a level of recovery. We welcome the positive indications in these guidelines for the resumption of airport commercial operations in airports.”

APTRA’s approach to ICAO set out the vital contribution made by the travel retail and duty free industry to employment and to the essential commercial income of airports. It detailed the industry’s proposed measures to enable operators to function while prioritizing the health and safety of passengers and staff. These include:

• Protection of colleagues – with training, PPE and safety equipment, prioritization of contactless payment, increased hygiene measures in-store.
• Protection of customers – clear signage, traffic flow, hygiene, encouraging short dwell times
• General retail operations – protocols on hygiene in-store and on delivery procedures, streamlining of store furniture to ensure efficient passenger flow with supervision by store staff

APTRA’s approach to ICAO included a retail map of Changi Terminal 3, illustrating how outlets are integrated within the terminal infrastructure and space, allowing for ease of flow.

Introducing the report, ICAO council president Salvatore Sciacchitano said. “The world looked to the ICAO council to provide the high-level guidance which governments and industry needs to begin restarting international air transport, recovering from COVID-19. We have answered this call today with the delivery of this report, its recommendations and Take-Off guidelines which will now align public and private sector actions and mitigations as we get the world flying again, in full accordance with the latest and most prudent medical and traveller health advice available to us.”

APTRA is communicating with several aviation authorities to reach as many decision-makers at country government level as possible to ensure the voice of travel retail across APAC is heard.

Members can access the ICAO report via https://www.icao.int/covid/cart/Pages/Airport-Module—Terminal-Airside-Area.aspx