KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 — KL International Airport (KLIA) and Kuching International Airport have achieved the Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) by the Airports Council International (ACI).

Malaysia Airports group chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Shukrie Mohd Salleh said the accreditation was a testament to the airport operator’s continuous commitment to ensure the highest safety levels at its airports.

"Among the upcoming new features at KLIA this year, for instance, is the implementation of the single token initiative that leverages on facial recognition technology for a contactless passenger journey.

"This is our contribution towards restoring air travel confidence and further accelerating its recovery,” he said in a statement today.

The safety measures at both airports are benchmarked against global standards in accordance with the ACI Aviation Business Restart and Recovery guidelines and the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Council Aviation Recovery Task Force recommendations, along with industry-best practices.

Malaysia Airports’ Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport received the same accreditation earlier this year while four more airports in Malaysia are being assessed for the accreditation.

The four airports are Penang International Airport, Kota Kinabalu International Airport, Langkawi International Airport and Subang Airport.

ACI Asia-Pacific director-general, Stefano Baronci said the accreditation will serve as a reassuring reminder to passengers that internationally recognised safety measures are in place.

"Malaysia Airports’ approach for its network of airports to extensively leverage technology, robots and e-commerce will stand them in good stead as travel recovers and resumes,” he added.

The AHA programme zeroes in on health measures and procedures practiced by the airports. By being accredited, the airports are able to demonstrate their safety practices in a measurable and established manner. — Bernama