Helikopter og Korona - EASA med anbefalinger - AIN

EASA Issues Covid-19 Guidance for Helo Ops

EASA has issued guidance for continued helicopter operations in the face of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic. Aside from following previous EASA guidance on aircraft cleaning and disinfection and physical distancing, the agency now recommends including Covid-19-specific items in operational considerations and preflight briefings.

Other than medical flights, the agency urges operators to only fly “essential” missions such as offshore; sea-pilot transfer; and windfarm, pipeline, and electric line patrol and then only with a minimum crew. For all missions, the impact of wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, goggles, and gloves, in concert with normal required survival equipment such as life jackets, survival suits, and emergency breathing devices, should be factored into risk assessments, including the danger of foreign object debris from it, particularly while rotors are turning.

For air ambulance flights, preflight briefings should include discussion of crew/cockpit separation from medical passenger(s), the legality of innovative or temporary solutions such as use of patient isolation systems, use of ventilation/air conditioning systems, and procedures in the event of patient isolation system malfunction. EASA counsels, “Where possible, a separate briefing with ground personnel/hospital staff prior to arrival/departure (should be conducted) to reduce the risk of cross-contamination during transfer of patients.” EASA also counsels air ambulance operators to “as much as possible, maintain the same crews to avoid cross-contamination among all the staff.”