TECH TALK
As in previous virus outbreaks, many airlines and operators have been using hospital-grade disinfectants to sanitize aircraft that may have been subjected to the coronavirus.
Governments can be brought to their knees unless they show their citizens that they are being cautious, and this will create uncertainty as tour groups, conferences, festivals, and events are either canceled, postponed or shortened. Japan is preparing itself for an impact on the upcoming Summer Olympics, which will have a substantial economic effect upon not only that country, but upon all of the entire global athletic community. The U.S. Department of State had issued a level-4 travel advisory to China, which advises that travel is not advised to China. Earlier, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) had issued a level-3 warning recommending to avoid travel, unless essential, to China. Other countries have followed suit. We also have travel warnings on unnecessary trips to South Korea, Iran, and parts of Italy. Let’s touch on how what is happening in differing parts of the aviation community.
AIRPORTS ARE ON
THE FRONT LINES Airports Council International (ACI), the trade association of the world’s airports (668 members, operating 1979 airports in 176 countries) has published guidance for airports on global communicable disease transmission. The guidance document, the ‘Advisory Bulletin: Transmission of Communicable Diseases’ is aimed at airports and can be modified to the local situation as necessary and used in discussion with local authorities and national regulators when determining appropriate actions. This guidance reiterates options and best practices that airports and
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national authorities can use to protect against contagious diseases that might pose a serious risk to public health. The recommendations are designed to reduce exposure to an infectious agent at airports and improve the response to health-related emergencies by establishing standards and procedures for prompt decision- making and action. The bulletin states that the highest priority should be the rapid agreement between the airport and the relevant authority of responsibility and accountability for measures. The document can be found at this link:
https://aci.aero/wp-content/ uploads/2020/02/Advisory_Bulletin_ on_Coronovirus_COVID-19.pdf The financial impact to airports will not be quantified until later as the additional costs related to passenger screening, including setting up designated gates, having airport staff monitor passengers arriving from affected locations for signs of respiratory disease and increasing the use of thermal screening of passengers to spot potential virus carriers, among other measures. Mass-screening systems such
as FevIRScan measure the skin temperature at high-speed using thermal imaging and temperature measurement equipment, minimizing passenger delays are part of the arsenal that airports are using. Another tactic is the frequent disinfection of arrival gate and areas, buses, and other spaces where passengers move through. The financial impact on airport
vendors will be severe in regions affected the hardest, and the entire
travel industry built around travel hubs will feel this economically as well.
AIRCRAFT OPERATORS USING HOSPITAL-GRADE DISINFEC-
TANTS TO STERILIZE PLANES As in previous virus outbreaks, many airlines and operators have been using hospital-grade disinfectants to sanitize aircraft that may have been subjected to the coronavirus. These decontaminators help combat “superbugs” and microbes with effectiveness and provide a higher degree of safety for passengers and crew. With reports that coronaviruses can remain on surfaces for up to 9 days in certain conditions, thorough cleanings of aircraft and airports are even more critical. Typically aircraft do not require a full disinfecting (although many carriers do a thorough cleaning after international flights), but this is not a typical time.
One example of this is Qantas using a hospital-grade disinfectant called Viraclean. This product eradicates a variety of bacteria and viruses, including Hepatitis B and herpes simplex, according to the manufacturer. Qantas had used the same B747 on two flights from Wuhan, and another from Tokyo back to Australia, and this aircraft was scrubbed over 36 hours afterward. All disposables (blankets, pillows, magazines, air filters, etc.) were discarded, and the cabin was sprayed entirely twice with Viraclean, to mitigate any spread of the potential virus.
Another disinfectant used is
Microgen’s MD-125, which is being utilized by Korean Air. This product acts against 142 bacteria and
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