Air New Zealand has confirmed that a passenger who has tested positive with COVID-19 (coronavirus) travelled with the airline on three separate flights.
The passenger travelled from Singapore to Auckland on flight NZ283 on 25 February 2020, then flew from Auckland to Palmerston North on flight NZ5103 on 2 March 2020, returning to Auckland on flight NZ8114 the same day.
The airline is working closely with the Ministry of Health and Government agencies to identify and proactively contact customers who travelled on the Singapore service and the two regional flights.
Air New Zealand Chief Medical Officer Doctor Ben Johnston says Air New Zealand has anticipated and planned for this scenario, and has a robust process in play to manage its response.
“We are working closely with the Ministry of Health to identify and proactively contact customers from these flights. This includes utilising our own Contact Centre staff. The health and safety of passengers and crew is Air New Zealand’s top priority and our aircraft already undergo a thorough cleaning process, which includes cleaning surfaces such as tray tables and inflight entertainment screens with a disinfectant that kills viruses,” Dr Johnston says.
“We also remove all headsets, headrest covers, pillow covers, and blankets after every international flight. Domestic and regional services surfaces and bathrooms are wiped with disinfectant spray. The three aircraft this customer flew on will now also undergo a deep clean.”
