The first two affected flights were Ryanair’s services arriving from Treviso at 15:30 and Bergamo at 16:05. None of the passengers were found to have a high body temperature.

Budapest Airport procured a thermal camera last week, and will rent another one in the next few days, to provide the most precise data and the safest results, even with the joint application of the various different screening methods, if necessary.

Additionally, Budapest Airport has assets and equipment in excess of a hundred million HUF available to perform its tasks and support the work of the authorities.

The airport operator has significant stocks of the necessary protective gear (protective clothing, gloves, masks, plastic shoe covers, etc.) and of the equipment and materials required for disinfection. Appropriate isolation facilities are also available.

Budapest Airport is in continuous contact with the National Public Health Center and the airport branch of the national public health service, to be able to immediately implement any precautionary measures at the airport, if and when necessary.

Following the introduction of the new measures by the authorities today, Budapest Airport provided the resources required for screening within two hours, in order to be able to comply fully with authority requirements already in the case of the first affected flight.

Similarly to Chinese flights, the screening of passengers arriving from Italy is performed by Budapest Airport’s contracted medical service provider, under the supervision of the Airport Police Directorate.

Click here to see flights expected from the affected Italian regions over the coming days.

Based on the decision of the competent authorities, a medical check has been performed at the airport on all passengers arriving with direct flights from China, as of 31 January. Since these measures were introduced, 1388 passengers and 180 staff have been checked with thermal cameras.

Previously, 3 airlines operated 13 flights per week to Budapest, from 5 Chinese cities. Shanghai Airlines and Hainan Airlines suspended all flights until the end of March. Air China reduced the frequency of its flight between Beijing and Budapest, and will only operate once a week on that route, from 4 March.

The medical checks are implemented by means of taking the body temperature of passengers, similarly to the procedure already introduced in several other countries. In case body temperature exceeds a certain level, medical staff perform additional checks, and decide on the suspicion of infection accordingly.

In case the suspicion of infection arises, affected passengers are transported to one of the medical institutions prepared for this purpose, and Budapest Airport’s Emergency Response unit disinfects the aircraft and the premises.

Budapest Airport informs passengers on fliers and signs in the entire area of the airport about the most important hygiene advice and about what to do if they feel ill during flight.

Budapest Airport ensures seamless passenger traffic whilst the medical checks are performed.

Source: Budapest Airport