SriLankan Airlines upgraded to highest ‘Diamond’ standard in health safety audit

• Achievement in assessment by Airline Passengers Experience Association and SimpliFlying, first by a South Asian carrier

SriLankan Airlines has been awarded ‘Diamond’ standard by the APEX Health Safety (Airline Passengers Experience Association) powered by SimpliFlying for the airline’s efforts in ensuring the highest standards of cleanliness and sanitisation across its operations. 

Having previously being awarded the ‘Platinum’ standard in January 2021 the airline was recognised for the extra safety measures and comprehensive hygiene precautions taken, since the onset of the global pandemic.

SriLankan Airlines is the first airline in South Asia to receive the ‘Diamond’ accreditation, the highest possible rating attainable based on the evaluation of a 58-point checklist. The airline achieved the ‘Diamond’ standard with numerous criteria been reviewed related to the health safety of passengers being the focal point of the journey including a touch-free check-in process and implementation of physical distancing.

In addition, all SriLankan aircraft are disinfected before every flight and equipped with the most advanced High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) air filtration systems onboard. The cabin air is refreshed every two to three minutes throughout the flight. This requires keeping the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) turned on before boarding until disembarkation on arrival, to ensure the HEPA filters are up and running to their maximum capacity and this was a commended measure by the APEX SimpliFlying audit committee. 

SriLankan Airlines Chairman Ashok Pathirage stated: “We continue to diligently implement comprehensive hygiene precautions to ensure that our passengers can travel in a safe and healthy environment during the pandemic. The precautionary measures taken by SriLankan Airlines during these uncertain times make us proud to receive the highest status in the APEX Health Safety audit.”

“Since the start of the pandemic, SriLankan Airlines has been committed to the safety and wellbeing of all its employees and passengers. Our team is dedicated to being the safest airline in the region by adopting advanced biosafety measures at all customer touchpoints and reassuring our passengers that safety is a priority when travelling with us,” said SriLankan Airlines CEO Vipula Gunatilleka.

SriLankan Airlines undertook several medical collaborations to further advance biosafety across its business by working closely with the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka, the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA), and the Ministry of Health to make sure safety guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) are followed.

“SriLankan Airlines’ advancement in the ratings, came by the airline’s incredible investment in nearly a dozen recommended new health safety steps for the enhanced safety of their passengers,” APEX CEO Dr. Joe Leader stated. “Reaching the ‘hospital grade’ Diamond level demonstrates SriLankan’s commitment to advancing in every way possible forward during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Furthermore, the airline’s medical centre prioritised addressing the needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic by proactively engaging with local health authorities. SriLankan Airlines achieved a milestone with its vaccination drive inoculating more than 90% of its flight crew, supporting the path towards global travel recovery.

“Sri Lankan has become the most improved airline in the APEX Health Safety audit powered by SimpliFlying. Since their first audit in January this year, the airline has managed to refine their health safety strategy with new measures and Sri Lankan’s success is a solid example of how an airline should build trust among passengers during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said SimpliFlying CEO Shashank Nigam. 

The airline offers passengers neighbour-free seating which provides customers with generous legroom and more space to relax during the flight. Also, it benefits concerned travellers by enabling passengers to block seats around them, providing an effective solution for social distancing on-board.