You can now use Apple Maps for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS to view coronavirus health measures at airports, as well as access full lists of COVID-19 guidelines for passengers.
Apple Maps Now Displays Covid-19 Measures at Airports
The feature is available as of now in Apple Maps without requiring a software update. Simply search for an airport in the Maps app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to access related COVID-19 health information, requirements, and other measures. You should also see a link leading to an airport’s travel guidance page serving additional relevant information.
The announcement was made on the Airports Council International (ACI) website, with Luis Felipe de Oliveira, ACI’s World Director General, quoted as saying the following:
The recovery of air travel will rely on passenger confidence in the industry’s focus on their health and welfare. Having this information displayed in Apple Maps will help to make this crucial data much more broadly accessible to passengers. This will help passengers to plan their journeys and be reassured that their health and safety remains a priority for the industry as we all work towards a sustained return to operations and global connectivity.
The underlying data is being provided by the organization’s Health Measures Portal.
As MUO recently reported, Apple Maps now also displays nearby COVID-19 vaccine providers in the US. In addition to highlighting the location of vaccine providers, Apple Maps provides information about location operating hours and other useful tidbits.
Those details can also be requested through Apple’s Siri assistant.
As for displaying coronavirus information for airports, that’s very helpful if you’re planning to travel in the age of pandemic, but there’s just one drawback—information availability.
Enter the ACI App and Passenger Portal
Although ACI represents global airport authorities, the organization does not provide this information for all of the airports that it partners with. As a matter of fact, coronavirus health information is currently available for a selection of airports in the US and other countries.
In the United Kingdom, for example, ACI provides information for the Luton airport, but not for the bigger ones such as Heathrow or Gatwick. Airports that would like to partner with ACI can sign up through their Health Measures Portal. There’s also an API for third, airlines and app developers included, to access this data.
ACI also provides more detailed information about the health measures that are in place at individual airports around the world through its own Check and Fly mobile app and passenger portal. With the app for iPhone and iPad, available free of charge in the App Store, airports can easily inform passengers about what to expect when they plan to travel in order to help them meet any COVID-19 requirements.