Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Offers COVID-19 Care Kits
Joe Cortez July 20, 2020
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport wants flyers to “travel confidently” if they choose to fly. To those ends, passengers transiting through the busy airport can now request a free care kit with face masks, hand sanitizer and tips on how to travel safely.
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) wants to help flyers “travel confidently” by helping to protect their health when they choose to fly. To those ends, the airport authority is now offering free care kits to anyone transiting through the airport.
Care Kits Include Face Masks and Hand Sanitizer
For those who forget their face coverings or hand sanitizer at home, the airport will give them away to flyers for free upon request. The care kits include five face masks, a bottle of hand sanitizer and a card with helpful tips while they travel. The packs were put together based on advice from health care officials, as both airlines and airports work to help travelers feel confident and safe if they decide to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Working with guidance from health agencies and best practices in the industry, we have adopted a comprehensive program to help keep travelers and airport employees healthy,” Brian Ryks, CEO of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Airports Commission (the owners of MSP) said in a statement. “We’re expecting an increase in traffic in July. Whether our passengers return to the skies next month or later in the year, they will experience a very different airport in terms of health safety elements in place to protect them.”
The care package offering augments the steps the airlines are taking to encourage passenger safety and reduce the risk of catching novel Coronavirus. According to the International Air Transport Association, wearing face masks are one of the top three items that give flyers a sense of security, and is mandatory on all American carriers. In addition, the Transportation Security Administration is allowing passengers to carry one bottle of hand sanitizer up to 12 ounces through the security checkpoint – nearly a four-times increase of the regular 3.4-ounce liquid restriction.
Minneapolis Plans for Flyers Return by 2021
The new flyer-forward measures come as the Metropolitan Airport Commission is set to discuss the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to airport staff analysis, the commission expects more flyers to start passing through the airport starting in July 2020, but all revenue sources are still negatively affected. Looking forward over the next two years, while the worst came in March 2020, a potential recovery could begin as soon as mid-2021.
The chart shows the initial projections for air travel recovery at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), and is part of a larger report discussing the financial impact of COVID-19. Chart courtesy: Metropolitan Airport Commission.
But even under the most optimistic profiles, the models agree with a Moody’s report that a full airline recovery won’t happen until 2022.
Feature image courtesy: Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
Virus is spreading in Minneapolis and it looks like they have no plans for physical distancing. The science shows us if we ALL go through a 60 day shut-down the virus will burn itself out. What Minneapolis is doing will just allow the virus to keep spreading.