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Singapore Airlines awarded highest Diamond rating in global airline health and safety audit
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has been awarded the Diamond rating – the highest level attainable – in the APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying audit of global airlines.
Aitken Spence is the General Sales Agency (GSA) for Singapore Airlines in Sri Lanka and is the longest standing GSA representation in the Singapore Airlines network worldwide. At present Singapore Airlines operates three flights a week to Singapore with flights on every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
The audit, which was jointly conducted by industry body Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) and aviation strategy firm SimpliFlying, involved a quantitative 58-point checklist covering 10 categories. These included testing, tracing, on-the-ground procedures, in-flight measures and partnerships to further enhance safety integrity.
The diamond rating is the highest achievable level for the audit, marking at least 200 points above the minimum gold standard determined by APEX and SimpliFlying for passenger safety and well-being. Standards are based on independently verified, validated, and certified airline passenger health safety measures.
Yeoh Phee Teik, Senior Vice President Customer Experience, Singapore Airlines, said: “Early in the Covid-19 pandemic, we undertook a comprehensive review of our health and safety measures together with our partners and regulators, in consultation with medical experts, and by taking on board customer feedback.
“Our teams deep-dived into many check points along the end-to-end customer journey. We reinforced existing procedures where necessary, enhanced some of them, introduced new measures to supplement them, and used digital technologies to complement them and support a more seamless travel experience.
“Receiving the Diamond status in this audit is a recognition of this unwavering commitment to safeguarding the well-being of our customers and staff in all areas of our operations. Singapore Airlines is renowned for our industry-leading product and service, and we will continue to ensure that world-class health and safety standards remain an integral part of our brand promise.”
Dr. Joe Leader, CEO of APEX, said: “Singapore Airlines’ commitment to customer well-being shines via a contactless journey management bolstered by best-in-class onboard hygiene. As a Diamond health safety certified airline, Singapore Airlines has gone a step beyond investing in their passengers’ wellness by implementing the latest advances in testing and health passport technology.”
Shashank Nigam, CEO of SimpliFlying, said: “Singapore Airlines has raised the bar for health safety standards in the industry with initiatives such as near-touch check-in kiosks, mobile notifications for baggage delays and digitisation of in-flight menus and magazines. Taking hospital-grade measures in ensuring health safety will help bolster trust among travellers.”
Health and safety when travelling with Singapore Airlines
SIA has introduced comprehensive health and safety measures to ensure the well-being of our customers and staff members. Pre-departure measures include basic passenger health assessments, as well as contactless services such as mobile check-in and digital in-flight menus.
SIA regularly applies anti-microbial coating on high-touch surfaces including areas in the lounges, as well as various sections of the aircraft cabin including the lavatories. On selected aircraft, electrostatic spraying machines containing a disinfecting agent are used to sanitise the cabin.
During the flight, SIA requires all customers and staff members to wear masks unless they are eating or drinking. Cabin crew are also required to wear goggles, as well as gloves when necessary, while interacting with our customers. They are also required to be in protective gowns on flights from certain sectors.
While all physical newspapers and magazines have been removed, SIA offers customers a free e-Library via their personal tablets and mobile devices that provides access to more than 1,000 global publications. Meal services have been simplified to reduce contact, but SIA has managed to reintroduce favourites such as its satay and garlic bread for premium classes within one tray.
All SIA aircraft are equipped with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, which remove more than 99.9% of particles including airborne viruses and bacteria in the cabin. The cabin air is refreshed every two to three minutes throughout the flight. Post-flight, headsets, headrest covers, pillow covers, bedsheets and blankets are replaced. Linens are washed at high temperatures to disinfect them after every use.
The Singapore Airlines precautionary measures e-brochure can be found at this link: https://www.singaporeair.com/saar5/pdf/travel-info/covid19/Singapore-Airlines-Precautionary-Measures-e-Brochure-7June20.pdf, and more information on SIA’s health and safety measures can be found at this link: https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/sg/travel-info/covid19-measures/
In December, SIA also launched trials on a digital health verification process, the first in the world to be based on the International Air Transport Association’s Travel Pass framework. This allows customers to securely store and present information related to Covid-19 tests, as well as their vaccination status in the future. This helps to support the industry’s safe and calibrated recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
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SLT-Mobitel, the nation’s ICT and Telecommunications Service Provider recently partnered with Spotify, to mark their launch in Sri Lanka. Spotify is a paid premium music streaming app which allows subscribers to listen to music to their hearts content. Both, SLT-Mobitel Post-Paid and Pre-Paid customers will now be able to enjoy Spotify by activating a monthly recurring subscription or one-time subscription plan and access unlimited music streaming and downloading facilities.
The subscription charges will get added to the user’s customary billing, where payment will be deducted in real time. Starting from the payment date, the user will be able to access Spotify and download their favourite songs, for the next 30 days. Users who sign up for their first monthly subscription will receive an additional one month, courtesy of Spotify. The one-month subscription plan is not applicable with one-time subscription plans. SLT-Mobitel data rates, depending on the user’s respective broadband charges, will apply.
Spotify also has some exciting features that will provide SLT-Mobitel customers with the opportunity to listen to ad-free music, access millions of uninterrupted music under one platform, play any song they like, anywhere they go, and also be able to enjoy their music offline.
SLT-Mobitel customers can select their preferred premium package under four categories; Individual, Duo, Family, Student. Each category has recurring and non-recurring plans. After one month of free streaming, the package will activate once the offer period terminates. While both, the Individual and Student premiums are limited to one account user, the Duo package offers two accounts and the Family premium is accessible through six accounts. To view Spotify plans, users can log on to https://spoti.fi/3aLWvce
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by Sanath Nanayakkare
Anyone conversant with the elements of a political economy would know that Sri Lanka is using its ‘sovereign power’ to manage the different dynamics of the economy in a sustainable manner, Professor W. D Lakshman Governor of the Central Bank said on Wednesday.
“Some critics are saying that we adopt a so-called modern monetary theory. That’s not the case. In fact, Sri Lanka is using its sovereign power in a number of economic aspects to honour its external debt repayment commitments as well as to reduce its debt burden in the medium term as well as achieve resilient growth in the medium to long term, he said.
“We make policy decisions to boost our gross foreign reserves, meet our external debt servicing, to facilitate monetary expansion, to boost our GDP growth, to strengthen our current account balance and manage our domestic and external economic variables in a sustainable manner. This is not a modern monetary theory. This is an age-old tool used by central banks around the world when the circumstances demand it, he said.
“Certain trade-offs will be necessary when dealing with an economy which has a big fiscal gap to bridge. There are efforts to push Sri Lanka towards the IMF again which would in turn have influence on our policymaking. We have taken policy measures to stabilize the economy and we have adequate reserve levels to meet our debt repayments. Meanwhile, we are in negotiations with overseas central banks and multilateral agencies to further boost our reserve level and it would materialise within a matter of weeks,” he noted.
“One of the tools the Central Bank has introduced is in respect of repatriation of export proceeds into Sri Lanka and conversion of such proceeds into Sri Lankan rupees in order to strengthen the foreign exchange situation of the country,” he said.
The Governor made these remarks while delivering the keynote speech at a webinar organised by the Veemansa Initiative led by its Managing Director Luxman Siriwardene – the former Executive Director of Pathfinder Foundation.
The webinar revolved round the topic ‘External debt situation in Sri Lanka: Are we heading for a resolution or crisis?’
Professor Sirimal Abeyratne, Prof. Sumanasiri Liyanage, Dr. Nishan de Mel and Dr. Ravi Liyanage were the other speakers on the panel.
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By Hiran H.Senewiratne
CSE produced signs of a rebound yesterday with both indices closing positive, though turnover remained low. Central Bank Governor W.D Lakshman’s recent statement on managing foreign reserves gave some boost to the market yesterday, stock market analysts said.
The index experienced a zigzag movement within the early hours of trading; thereafter, it recorded a slight up-trend as it reached its intraday high of 7,439. Later, the market witnessed a down-trend at mid-day, followed by a sideways movement and closed at 7,372, gaining 43 points during the month of February, market sources said.
It is said the banking sector dominated turnover with a contribution of considerable parcel trades in Sampath Bank, Commercial Bank and HNB.
Further, the Commercial Bank’s impressive quarterly results during the recent turbulent period also built investor confidence. Commercial Bank was able to register a18 percent net interest income when other banks were reporting a decline. Its share price increased by Rs. 3 or 3.5 percent. On the previous day, its shares started trading at Rs. 85 and at the end of the day they moved up to Rs. 88. Due to the positive growth results, the bank announced a Rs. 4.40 dividend per share, plus a Rs. 2 script divergent for every share.
Further, Sampath Bank shares also appreciated in both crossing and retail. In crossings its shares appreciated by Rs. 1.At the end of the day they moved up to Rs. 154.50. In the retail market, its shares moved up by Rs. 2 or 1.3 percent. Previously, its shares fetched Rs. 154 and at the end of yesterday they moved up to Rs. 156.
Amid those developments, both indices moved upwards. The All Share Price Index went up by 104.48 points and S and P SL20 rose by 67.78 points. Turnover stood at Rs. 3 billion with four crossings. Those crossings were reported in Sampath Bank, where 3.9 million shares crossed for Rs. 602.2 million, its share price being Rs. 154.50, HNB 375,000 shares crossed for Rs. 39.4 million, its shares traded at Rs. 105, Pan Asia Power 9.5 million shares crossed for Rs. 33.2 million, its shares traded at Rs. 3.50 and Access Engineering 1.2 million shares crossed for Rs. 28.2 million; its shares traded at Rs. 24.
In the retail market top five companies that mainly contributed to the turnover were, Expolanka Rs. 450 million (10 million shares traded), JKH Rs. 205 million (1.3 million shares traded), Browns Investments Rs. 199 million (34.9 million shares traded), Sampath Bank Rs. 191 million (1.2 million shares traded) and Dipped Products Rs. 137.7 million (2.8 million shares traded). During the day 101 million share volumes changed hands in 18046 transactions.
During the day, Expolanka, the biggest contributor to the turnover, saw its share price appreciating by Rs. 6.20 or 15 percent. Its share price quoted on the previous day was Rs. 41 and at the end of trading yesterday it moved up to Rs. 47.
Sri Lanka’s rupee quoted wider at 193.50/195.50 levels to the US dollar in the spot next market on Thursday while bond yields remained unchanged, dealers said. The rupee last closed in the spot market at 194.50/195.00 to the dollar on Wednesday.
