CAAC has recently revised the Preventing Spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Guideline for Airlines and the Preventing Spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Guideline for Airports, in order to provide guidance for airlines and airports on the prevention and control of COVID-19 in accordance with the principle of multi-level, categorized and differentiated management of outbreak containment for air transport.

In accordance with the principle of “targeted and detailed prevention and control measures”, the revised Guidelines contain multi-level, categorized and differentiated measures for outbreak containment, including newly added infection control measures for in-flight cleaning staff, maintenance personnel and healthcare worker at airports, methods of psychological self-regulation for front-line personnel of airlines, and videos on proper use of personal protective equipment.

The Guidelines provide the risk classification standards for flights and the principles of disease prevention and control. Flights are categorized into three levels, namely high-risk flights, medium-risk flights and low-risk flights, and differentiated prevention and control measures should be applied after a comprehensive evaluation of the outbreak at the place of origins of the flights (both international and domestic), whether the aircraft is equipped with high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters and other indicators such as load factors, flight time and mission of the flights. Risk levels should be subject to dynamic adjustment in line with the development of the outbreak.

In addition, the Guidelines also provide detailed guidance on passenger temperature screening, personal protection for crew members, in-flight service, routine aircraft cleaning and disinfection, aircraft maintenance, handing of in-flight medical emergencies, aircraft cargo hold disinfection, quarantine management for crew members, and methods of psychological self-regulation for front-line personnel of airlines.