The aviation industry, like the rest of America, is gearing up for the reopening of America for business.  As we do so, it is important to keep on top of the latest recommended “best practices” necessary to keep the COVID-19 virus from rebounding.  Unfortunately, finding these resources can sometimes be difficult.

We at Plane-ly Spoken are here to help.  The following is our collection of links, arranged by topic and government agency, of aviation industry related COVID-19 guidance.

I.     GENERAL INFORMATION RESOURCES

These links are the top-level entry into the agencies’ COVID-19 portals or are pages where an agency provides general information relevant to their area of expertise.  These pages also contain announcements of updates to policies and procedures.

• FAA – COVID-19 General Information

https://www.faa.gov/coronavirus/

• FAA – COVID-19 UPDATE Page listing new actions

https://www.faa.gov/news/updates/?newsId=94991

• CDC – COVID-19 Home Page

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

• CDC – Travel Recommendations by Country

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html

• FEMA – Coronavirus Rumor Control

https://www.fema.gov/coronavirus/rumor-control

• FEMA – Coronavirus Emergency Management Best Practices

https://www.fema.gov/coronavirus/best-practices

• OSHA – Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19

https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf

• DOL/OSHA – COVID-19 Guidance

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/

• CBP – Customs and Border Patrol COVID-19 Updates and Announcements

https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/coronavirus

• IATA – Air Transport & COVID-19 Coronavirus

https://www.iata.org/en/programs/safety/health/diseases/

II.    AIR CARRIER INTERACTION WITH PASSENGERS

These links contain information on what actions air carriers may take with regard to denying boarding to ill passengers.  They also contain links to actions that should be taken if a passenger is discovered to be sick during flight, including decontamination of aircraft and Federal reporting requirements.

• FAA – 14 CFR § 382.23 – May carriers require a passenger with a disability to provide a medical certificate?

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/382.23

• CDC – Preventing Spread of Disease on Commercial Aircraft: Guidance for Cabin Crew

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/air/managing-sick-travelers/commercial-aircraft/infection-control-cabin-crew.html

• CDC – Legal Requirements for Reporting illness on an Aircraft to the CDC (AIRLINE TOOL)

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/air/reporting-deaths-illness/guidance-reporting-onboard-deaths-illnesses.html

• CDC – Legal Requirements for Reporting illness on an Aircraft to the CDC (CABIN CREW TOOL)

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/air/reporting-deaths-illness/cabin-crew.html\

• CDC – Legal Requirements for Reporting illness on an Aircraft to the CDC (PILOT’s TOOL)

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/air/reporting-deaths-illness/pilots.html

• CDC – Legal Requirements for Reporting illness on an Aircraft to the CDC (SYMPTOM DEFINITIONS)

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/air/reporting-deaths-illness/definitions-symptoms-reportable-illnesses.html

III.     AIR CARRIER CARGO OPERATIONS

These links provide guidance specific to airline cargo operations.

• FAA – SAFO for cargo only flights on passenger configured aircraft

https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/safo/all_safos/media/2020/SAFO20008.pdf

• IATA – Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Dangerous goods (including alcohol

based sanitizers) guidance for Operators – 07 March 2020

https://www.iata.org/contentassets/90f8038b0eea42069554b2f4530f49ea/covid-19-dangerous-goods-guidance.pdf

IV.    GUIDANCE FOR AIR CARRIERS AND EMPLOYEES OF AIR CARRIERS REGARDING WORKPLACE SAFETY

These links cover requirements and best practices for preventing illness among air carrier employees.  Also provided are links to the procedures to follow before an ill employee should be allowed back to work.

• FAA – Updated Interim Occupational Health and Safety Guidance for Air Carriers and Crews

https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/safo/all_safos/media/2020/SAFO20009.pdf

• FAA – Flight Attendant Exemption

https://www.faa.gov/news/media/attachments/Flight%20Attendant%20Exemption.pdf

• CDC – Implementing Safety Practices for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/critical-workers/implementing-safety-practices.html

• CDC – Discontinuation of Isolation for Persons with COVID-19 Not in Healthcare Settings (Interim Guidance)

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/disposition-in-home-patients.html

• CDC – Updated Interim Guidance for Airlines and Airline Crew: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Includes Aircraft Cleaning and Disinfecting)

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/air/managing-sick-travelers/ncov-airlines.html

• OSHA – Enforcement Guidance for Recording Cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

https://www.osha.gov/memos/2020-04-10/enforcement-guidance-recording-cases-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19

• OSHA – Interim Enforcement Response Plan for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

https://www.osha.gov/memos/2020-04-13/interim-enforcement-response-plan-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19

V.     POSITION SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FOR AIR CARRIER WORKERS

These are links to CDC resources on COVID-19 best practices for a number of categories of airline and airline support workers.  This includes catering kitchen workers, catering truck drivers, airline customer service representatives and gate agents, aircraft maintenance workers, and airport retail or food service workers.

• CDC – What Airline Catering Kitchen Workers Need to Know about COVID-19

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/airline-catering-kitchen-workers.html

• CDC – What Airline Catering Truck Drivers and Helpers Need to Know about COVID-19

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/airline-catering-truck-drivers.html

• CDC – What Airline Customer Service Representatives and Gate Agents Need to Know about COVID-19

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/airport-customer-factsheet.html

• What Aircraft Maintenance Workers Need to Know about COVID-19

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/aircraft-maintenance-workers.html

• What Airport Retail or Food Service Workers Need to Know about COVID-19

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/airport-retail-factsheet.html

VI.    GENERAL INFORMATION FOR TRAVELERS

Contains links to information about restrictions on passenger air travel and the government’s position on the safety of passenger air travel generally.

 CDC – Coronavirus and Travel in the United States

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-in-the-us.html

• CDC – Travelers Prohibited from Entry to the United States

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/from-other-countries.html

• CDC – Travel: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/faqs.html

“Because of how air circulates and is filtered on airplanes, most viruses and other germs do not spread easily. Although the risk of infection on an airplane is low, try to avoid contact with sick passengers, avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands, and wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.”

For more information: Exposure Risk During Travel

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/faqs.html

We hope that you will find this information helpful as we all begin the long trek back to normal operations.  As always, stay safe out there!

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