Hofmann's recommendations

Aircraft disinfection

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At the moment, the tenor may be that we are all staying on the ground more or less voluntarily! But it is good to know - also for the time after corona - how efficient the airlines' hygiene measures are.

Aircraft have state-of-the-art air exchange systems and the air flow in the aircraft itself is from top to bottom. However, disinfecting large and small jets is an important issue, especially in these difficult times for the aviation industry.

Royal Jordanian Airlines was one of the first airlines in February to impressively demonstrate how it disinfected an aircraft returning from a flight from Wuhan. This is important, as hundreds of people are sitting together in a confined space.

The complete sterilization and disinfection of a Boeing 787, for example, is time-consuming. And as hygiene is a high priority, this is not only done in the cabin, galleys and cockpit, but also in the cargo area. Seats, furnishings, air conditioning system, everything is part of it. Just like the laundry, dishes, headphones or the food trolleys, as well as the fold-out tables and luggage rack buttons or armrests, carpets, the surface of the seats, etc.

Royal Jordanian cleaned the aircraft in three phases, taking more than two hours to complete the process to eliminate 100% of bacteria and viruses. This followed a scientifically proven methodology using high quality products. An electronic sterilization protocol was created. International standards of the aviation authorities and the aircraft manufacturer Boeing must be taken into account.

However, aircraft are not only disinfected after such special flights. Such measures can also be implemented if a highly infectious passenger is suspected. At the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in China and subsequently in other parts of Asia, many airlines introduced this procedure. Vietnam Airlines, for example, always operated the same aircraft to China whenever possible and disinfected them after every flight. As already mentioned, in accordance with official guidelines and the specifications of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Delta Air Lines from the USA, which is grounding 300 aircraft due to the corona crisis and massively reducing its route network, has sprayed aircraft returning from long-haul routes with a mist of a "highly effective disinfectant". It is well known that aircraft are cleaned as standard after every flight, and many airlines have now stepped up this standard.

Self-protection.
In times when massive passenger declines are plunging aviation into the biggest crisis in its history, it is relatively easy to find space away from a seat neighbor on the ever decreasing number of flights. In general, it also depends on what you touch or whether you sit by the window or aisle. The risk of infection is lowest at the window. It is perfectly possible to carry a disinfectant in your hand luggage, but this disinfectant container should not have a capacity of more than 100 ml. In the case of suspected coronavirus cases on board, only those passengers who are up to two rows of seats away are considered "contact persons", explains the World Health Organization (WHO).