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Singapore Airlines requiring face masks to fly, suspends meal services on some flights
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A Singapore Airlines employee wears a medical mask for protection against the novel coronavirus outbreak at LAX Tom Bradley International Terminal on February 2, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (AFP/David McNew)
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ll passengers on Singapore Airlines (SIA) and SilkAir flights will be required to bring their own mask and wear it throughout the flight.
They must also observe safe distancing measures when embarking and disembarking from a flight and when queueing to use the lavatory.
These measures, which are in accordance with a Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore directive, will take effect from 11.59 p.m. on Sunday, SIA said in a statement posted on its website on Saturday evening.
Passengers on flights arriving in Singapore will also undergo a basic health assessment, including a verbal health declaration and temperature checks, before boarding the aircraft.
Meal services will be suspended on flights within Southeast Asia and those servicing China and a bag containing water and refreshments will be provided upon boarding instead.
Meals will be provided on all other flights. Customers who have special meal requirements can choose from a reduced list based on International Air Transport Association guidelines.
These measures are in addition to the existing precautionary measures that SIA and SilkAir have in place "to safeguard the well-being of customers and crew", SIA said in its statement.
One such existing measure is that every SIA and SilkAir aircraft undergoes a thorough cleaning process that includes the use of an approved strong disinfectant to clean all common areas, said the airline.
Read also: Only 10 out of 200 Singapore Airlines planes still fly passengers
It added that its aircraft are equipped with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, which "effectively filter more than 99.99 percent of airborne microbes and have a similar performance to those used in hospital operating rooms".
Adjustments to its in-flight services also include the suspension of hot towel service and the removal of menu cards and magazines from the back pockets of seats on all flights.
Cabin crew members and pilots have their temperatures taken before flights and wear masks and goggles, or eye visors, during flights. They do not report for work if they are unwell, SIA said.
SIA and SilkAir have grounded most of their fleet following a plunge in global demand for air travel as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
This article appeared on The Straits Times newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
