TEHRAN – The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has recently published a list of airports worldwide it has concluded being shielded against the coronavirus outbreak, evaluating “all airports” in Iran as safe.

Developed by the EU agency, the list includes world airports being taken the necessary measures, including enhanced aircraft disinfection for mitigating risks of transmission of the COVID-19 infection.

The list is mainly based on the information from WHO, ECDC (the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control), and other reputable public health institutes, and will be updated continuously in consultation with these organizations, the source said on Friday.

“It is developed under the sole purpose of ensuring an extra layer of protection for passengers and aircrew and is not intended to suggest travel restrictions or other public health measures (such as quarantine) at State level.”

Ingredients and factors contributing to the selection concern the number of active cases; the number of recovered cases; the trend of active cases per day & trend of new cases per day; the number of tests per inhabitants; deaths per inhabitants & trend of deaths per day; cases in urban vs rural areas; number & size of the airports serving a specific area/population.

To lessen the virus’s impact on the travel sector, Iran’s tourism ministry in close collaboration with the health ministry are executing protocols comprising practical guidelines and instructions to improve health standards in hotels, guest houses, eco-lodge units, airports, tourist destinations, transport facilities, recreational centers, and restaurants.

The tourism industry of Iran will get back on the right track sooner than expected thanks to measures taken to tackle the spread of coronavirus, deputy tourism minister Vali Teymouri told the Tehran Times in an interview last month.

“I believe that tourism industry of the country will get back on the right track far sooner than generally expected thanks to the measures taken to deal with the spread of coronavirus in tourist destinations, hotels, stopovers, and all the centers which are affiliated with the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts.”

AFM/MG