APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying
A new standard for health safety measures that build trust in travel
Health safety should not be a way for airlines to compete with one another.
We believe there needs to be a Gold standard that all airlines should meet or exceed to ensure passengers can trust the mode of transport.
This is what the APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying delivers, in a quantitative manner.
The Health Safety Standard is designed to:
- Give airlines a proactive role in resumption of global travel
- Create a common standard of health safety for passengers
- Highlight successful industry practices
This is how it works
58 areas audited across 10 stages
- 1. Online check-in
- 2. Testing & Tracing
- 3. Airport curbside
- 4. Security
- 5. Lounge
- 6. Boarding gate
- 7. In-flight before take-off
- 8. In-flight experience
- 9. Upon arrival
- 10. Branded initiatives
- 1. Online check-in
- 2. Testing & Tracing
- 3. Airport curbside
- 4. Security
- 5. Lounge
- 6. Boarding gate
- 7. In-flight before take-off
- 8. In-flight experience
- 9. Upon arrival
- 10. Branded initiatives
Step 1: Self-audit
Based on our report, The Rise of Sanitised Travel, we have selected 58 most critical areas across 10 stages of the travellers’ journey that airlines must get right in order to offer the highest standards of the health safety for passengers and staff alike.
The self-audit survey is free for everyone and offers preliminary results instantly upon submitting answers. Click here to start the audit now
Step 2: Verification
As soon as we receive a new airline submission, our consultants will get to work to verify each answer and analyse what has been implemented well and what could be improved. We will share our analysis along with the final score with each airline individually.
Step 3: Certification
Once the results are verified, we will award the airline one of the three tiers: Gold, Platinum and Diamond. If the results are not satisfactory, we help the airline develop a step-by-step plan on how to improve the health safety level in different areas.
Every time the airline updates its efforts, it has a chance to enter a higher tier of health safety excellence and become a better example for the whole industry.
Step 4: Stay up-to-date
We understand that the global pandemic makes the industry change quickly. Sometimes it is hard to foresee the changes. That’s why we ask participating airlines to update their audit forms every three months to highlight their most recent initiatives around measures against COVID-19.
To keep the audit up-to-date, board member airlines can participate in the quarterly H&S Board meetings with contributional rights (to add/exclude audit evaluation points).
10+ airlines have joined the Health Safety standard
Gold standard
20+ airlines are in the process of getting certified.
Platinum
Diamond
Build trust in travel by participating in the standard
Certified
- Access to the most recent benchmark of health safety measures focused on customer wellbeing from the Health Safety Board decisions;
- Personalized recommendations on how to improve the health safety level of your airline for your passengers;
- Quarterly accreditation with rights to use resources for customer-facing health safety validation.
Health Safety Board Observer
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All privileges of a ‘Certified’ airline;
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The right to provide medical, university, and scientific data via APEX and SimpliFlying to the Health Saftey Board;
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Participation of the quarterly Health Safety Board meetings focused on certification changes centered around passenger wellness based upon the latest peer-reviewed scientific evidence.
Health Safety Board Director
- All privileges of an ‘Observer’ participant;
- Direct voice of medical, university, and scientific researchers presenting to the Health Safety Board
- Direct roundtable voting for Health Safety Board evaluation points on certification changes to improve passenger wellness based upon the latest peer-reviewed scientific evidence.
As a global non-profit focused entirely upon advancing airline passenger experience, 100% of the funds for the health safety program are immediately reinvested at a “break-even” basis at half the cost of for-profit entities. APEX’s approach also allows airlines to “pay it forward” for other airlines to leverage the initial $0 cost APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying review process.
Over 25% of the certified airlines have already instituted the recommended policies, helping them raise their health safety standards in no time.
What do we want to achieve by developing the Health Safety Program?
Our vision is simple: To help re-build trust in air travel by raising the bar when it comes to health and safety measures being taken. We aim to become the JDPower or NPS of this decade in air travel.
Therefore, our goal is to certify 100 airlines globally in each of the 6 continents before the end of the year by creating the most relevant standard that helps build trust in the ecosystem.
Why a standard, not a ranking?
We believe that health safety should not be a way for airlines to compete with one another. There needs to be a Gold standard that all airlines should meet to ensure passengers can trust the mode of transport. This is what the APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying delivers, in a quantitative manner.
How are the airlines assessed?
- We have selected 58 touchpoints across the passenger journey from our “Rise of Sanitised Travel” report which has formed the basis of the ultimate recommendations by major airlines and organizations like IATA and ICAO. These touchpoints are divided into 10 categories and weight-based on the importance to the passengers. The weights and touchpoints are reviewed quarterly by our Board Members consisting of medical experts and passenger experience executives from airlines.
- Audited airlines need to submit proof for each measure they claim they are undertaking, including pictures, videos or logs. This evidence is verified by the SimpliFlying team, which then awards the airline a FLyQ score.
- Airlines scoring at least 200 FlyQ points attain the Gold Standard – for meeting a high bar for health safety. Airlines with 300 FlyQ points and above are awarded the Platinum status, for going above and beyond in their health safety measures. Airlines that attain over 400 FlyQ points are awarded the Diamond status, for providing hospital-grade health safety for passengers.
Is there a cost to joining the program?
After the certification review, airlines may choose to participate in the further advancement of the APEX Health Saftey powered by SimpliFlying program at an average cost of less than $0.01 per airline passenger annually. As a global non-profit focused entirely upon advancing airline passenger experience, 100% of the funds for the health safety program are immediately reinvested at a “break-even” basis at half the cost of for-profit entities.
APEX’s approach also allows airlines to “pay it forward” for other airlines to leverage the initial $0 cost APEX Health Saftey powered by SimpliFlying review process. With these minimal investments, airlines may simply elect to promote their certification status with on-going quarterly reviews for the year. Airlines will receive updates on evolving health safety customer-care standards on a regular basis to make certain they are able to best serve their passengers.
Airlines with medical, university and scientific expertise may elect to participate in the development of future customer-centric health safety advancements based on scientific and peer-reviewed evidence.
Alternatively, airlines and supporting health safety focused companies may elect to select to support APEX Health Saftey powered by SimpliFlying joining as an observer.
Why the partnership between APEX and SimpliFlying?
SimpliFlying’s deep expertise in COVID-19 measures together with APEX’s global standing as an aviation non-profit keep pushing the envelope on the passenger experience.
The APEX Health Safety audit powered by SimpliFlying creates a global standard for health safety focused upon the airline customer. As airlines worldwide work individually towards best practices, APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying will gain the efficiencies of advancing scientifically proven passenger protections. Every day, airlines and their suppliers gain new insights on best practices for customer protection. With the continuous external audit of our airlines, we will together advance our world and our passengers more safely through the COVID-19 pandemic.
About APEX
As a global non-profit and one of the world’s largest international airline associations, APEX accelerates our industry with the backing of nearly every major airline and valued supplier. In conjunction with both the International Flight Services Association (IFSA) and Future Travel Experience (FTE), APEX serves the full spectrum of the end-to-end travel experience. APEX reinvests all of its resources to serving its members, strengthening the worldwide airline industry, advancing thought-leadership, fostering business opportunities via events, developing global initiatives, setting key airline standards, and highlighting well-deserved recognition across our industry.
About SimpliFlying
SimpliFlying is a global leader in aviation strategy, having worked with over 100 airlines and airports worldwide since 2008. Since the beginning of COVID-19, SimpliFlying has focused on rebuilding trust in travel through biosafety measures, testing and trace & track. SimpliFlying led the aviation industry’s response to the pandemic through its Rise of Sanitised Travel framework.
Headquartered in Singapore, SimpliFlying has staff in Canada, Spain, the UK and Russia. Its growing list of clients includes Volaris, Japan Airlines, Saudia, Cebu Pacific, Turkish Airlines, LATAM, Airbus, Boeing and Toronto Pearson Airport.
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