"The virtual customer service is a form of physical distancing practiced at the airport in addition to maintaining a minimum distance of one to two meters in its public area to minimize the spread of COVID-19," President Director of PT Angkasa Pura I Faik Fahmi noted in a statement here on Thursday.
The virtual customer service is a form of the company's commitment to make it easier for customers to interact with airport officials amid the current coronavirus pandemic, he remarked.
The 12 airports that apply the virtual customer service facility comprise the I Gusti Ngurah Rai in Bali, Juanda in Surabaya, Sultan Hasanuddin in Makassar, Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA) in Kulon Progo, and SAMS Sepinggan Airport in Balikpapan.
The Syamsudin Noor Airport in Banjarmasin, Jenderal Ahmad Yani Airport in Semarang, Adi Soemarmo Airport in Solo, Sam Ratulangi Airport in Manado, El Tari Airport in Kupang, Lombok Praya and Pattimura Airport in Ambon are also offering this facility.
The virtual service will circumvent the need for face-to-face interactions, though customers will still be able to interact with officers through a monitor.
The officers will be ready to serve customers from the Airport Operation Control Center (AOCC) through the use of teleconference technology.
The authority has furnished guidelines for customers to use the virtual service, he stated. "This application would be open for use during the emergency status of COVID-19," he remarked.
The number of these virtual services would differ from airport to airport. At Bali airport, for instance, five virtual customer service facilities have been installed in the lobby for international departures and arrivals, waiting room for the international departure terminal, check-in counter at the domestic departure terminal, and domestic departure waiting room.
Related news: Ministry to study proposal to close airports to contain COVID-19
Related news: Government to subsidize domestic airlines affected by virus outbreak
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Ahmad Wijaya, Sri Haryati
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
