United Airlines officials said the carrier is using Ultraviolet C (UVC) lighting technology to clean pilot flight decks on most aircraft at hub airports to disinfect and sanitize the interior.
The process involves using handheld, AUVCo blades to kill any viruses potentially residing on sensitive switches and touch screen displays within the flight deck.
“Safety is our highest priority, and we continue to research, test, and roll out new technologies to keep our aircraft and terminals safe for both customers and crew,” Bryan Quigley, United’s senior vice president of flight operations, said. “Flight decks have many working parts, screens, and components that are challenging to clean with traditional hand wipes and liquids, especially for someone who isn’t a pilot. The UVC lighting gives us a faster, more effective disinfection of one of the most important areas of the aircraft.”
The airline tested varied UVC lighting uses as a disinfectant and consulted with its United CleanPlus partners at the Cleveland Clinic to determine the flight deck was the most effective use of the technology.
“United implementing UVC lighting in its flight decks is an important tactic because we know that the virus can be killed by ultraviolet light,” said Dr. James Merlino, chief clinical transformation officer at Cleveland Clinic.