KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 22): Every airline within the AirAsia Group has received the top seven stars for Covid-19 health ratings from aviation safety experts at AirlineRatings.com following the implementation of numerous industry innovations in recent times to make flying more seamless, hygienic, and contactless than ever before.

As outlined on the AirlineRatings.com website, airlines are judged on seven criteria, AirAsia said in a statement today.

These include website information on Covid-19 procedures, wearing of face masks, personal protective equipment for the crew, modified meal service, regular deep cleaning of aircraft, personal sanitiser kits, and social distancing onboard, it said.

"It was concerning to find that many airlines did not appear to comply with the Covid-19 agreed standards for the protection of passengers and crew.

"That is changing and our team is reviewing compliance on a weekly basis. AirAsia was one of the first airlines to aggressively adopt all the recommendations," AirlineRatings.com editor-in-chief Geoffrey Thomas was quoted as saying.

"These are based on the criteria set out by the International Air Transport Association, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the World Health Organization on regional and international safety guidelines," he added.

Earlier last week, AirAsia announced its newest innovation, Scan2Fly — an industry-leading technology that can determine a passenger's eligibility to fly before they arrive at the airport, including real-time verification of relevant health documentation.

AirAsia also confirmed numerous other recent enhancements which are already in place, including automated bag drop services, roving technology for temperature checks, and biometric facial recognition technology F.A.C.E.S. (Fast Airport Clearance Experience System) — the airline's contactless facial recognition passenger processing system.