Silver Air recently launched “COVID-19 Cleared,” an industry-first program that reduces potential infectious touch points on its fleet of private charter jets to nearly zero.
Silver Air’s new program was developed by the company’s executive and safety team in conjunction with medical professionals and infectious disease specialists. Addressing all potential contact points during private charter travel, the program reduces touch points around ground transportation at the departure location, during air travel, and ground transportation at the arrival destination to virtually zero.
“The safety of our clients and employees has always been Silver Air’s number one priority, but the current environment has challenged us to redefine what that means. More than ever, health and safety go hand-in-hand, and we’ve developed new protocols that eliminate touch points when traveling to ensure the safest environment possible for both our employees and our clients,” said Jason Middleton, CEO at Silver Air.
COVID-19 Cleared includes extensive cleaning, sterilization and sealing of all aircraft and ground transportation vehicles until the passenger and crew arrive; medical professionals conduct virtual health screenings of both crew and passengers; and only when all protocols have been confirmed will they clear the trip. Each step of the COVID-19 Cleared process exceeds recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Reviewed and endorsed by the leading aviation safety auditor WYVERN, the new program is being shared as a model for the private charter industry.
“The new Silver Air program can be a model for private aviation, and WYVERN can help roll this out to the industry,” said Sonnie Bates, WYVERN CEO. “We encourage private jet charter companies to look at some of the innovative measures taken here and to implement similar procedures to make air travel the safest it can be as we help business leaders get back to work and drive the economy's comeback.”
While private aviation has always offered a low-risk environment of exposure to travelers, the new program provides an increased level of protection. It is estimated that commercial flights can see upwards of 700 potential touch points for travelers, while normal private charter reduces that number to approximately 30, and the COVID-19 Cleared program can reduce the passengers potential touch points to zero.
This increased level of health screening and protection when traveling is important not just for traveler’s wellbeing, but also for the greater economy. Business leaders will start traveling again soon to rebuild the economy, and general aviation employs approximately 1.2 million workers from pilots and flight crews to ground transportation and airport personnel. Keeping everyone safe is paramount for this industry and the economy at large.
“Private aviation will play a critical role in restarting our economy. Our clients include business leaders from all industries, and they are going to have to start traveling again to rebuild their businesses and get people back to work,” Middleton said. “It is our responsibility to provide the safest environment possible while they are focused on rebuilding the U.S. and global economies. It’s also our responsibility to keep the people in our industry safe, so they can do their important jobs.”
Earlier this year, Silver Air earned the WYVERN Wingman certification for operational excellence. Middleton recently presented the COVID-19 Cleared program to other industry leaders and WYVERN clients on a webinar to share key learnings and help them develop their own improved safety and health protocols for charter clients.
