Qatar Airways is the first global carrier to incorporate Honeywell’s UV Cabin System, thereby improving its hygiene measures onboard.
In the clinical tests conducted, UV light has shown capability of inactivating various viruses and bacteria when applied properly.
Operated by Qatar Aviation Services, the Honeywell UV Cabin System is approximately the size of a beverage cart. It has extendable UV arms that treat aircraft seats, surfaces and cabins without use of cleaning chemicals.
Six of these Honeywell UV Cabin System have been received, and the devices have undergone comprehensive testing on board Qatar Airways aircraft before entering service.
The airline aims to acquire more units in future, and operate them onboard for all aircraft turnarounds at Hamad International Airport (HIA).
The Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, HE Akbar al-Baker said “We are pleased to be the first global airline to operate the Honeywell UV Cabin System onboard our aircraft. In clinical tests, UV light has shown as being capable of inactivating various viruses and bacteria when properly applied at specified doses.”
“During these unprecedented times, the health and safety of our crew and passengers continues to be of the utmost importance. Since the start of the pandemic, we have been regularly introducing new and effective safety and hygiene measures onboard our aircraft, based on our unparalleled expertise of flying consistently throughout,” Al Baker said.
“Honeywell has technology today that can make air travel safer – from the traveller to the airport worker, throughout the airport and onboard the aircraft. We are working across business lines to develop new products such as Honeywell ThermoRebellion, a new temperature-monitoring solution - Environmental Control System Check, which allows airlines to monitor air flow in the cabin, and an array of Personal Protective Equipment. All this allows for cleaner and safer airports,”said James Currier, Honeywell Aerospace President EMEAI.
James Currier further said Qatar Airways’ aircraft will be regularly disinfected using these cleaning products, as recommended by the IATA (International Air Transport Association) and WHO (World Health Organisation).
This Honeywell UV Cabin System will be used as an additional step after the manual disinfection of the aircraft to ensure highest standards of cleanliness. The onboard linen and blankets will be washed, dried and pressed at microbial lethal temperatures, while its headsets will be rigorously sanitised after each flight.
The aircraft also features advanced air filtration systems, equipped with HEPA filters that keep out 99.97% of viral and bacterial contaminants from air, providing the best protection against infection.
Qatar Airways had increased its safety measures onboard by introducing new PPE for customers and cabin crew. The ‘robust’ measures include offering face shields to all passengers, including disposable protective gown for cabin crew, fitted over their uniforms, apart from safety glasses, gloves and a mask.
All Qatar Airways passengers are provided with a complimentary kit which includes single-use face mask, disposable powder-free gloves and alcohol-based hand sanitizer gel offered.
The airline’s hub in Doha, Hamad International Airport has introduced UV-C disinfectant robots that are fully autonomous mobile device emitting UV-C light and are deployed in high passenger flow areas to reduce the spread of pathogens.
Further, HIA has also implemented strict cleaning procedures and has adopted social distancing measures all through his terminals. All passenger touchpoints are sanitized every 10-15 minutes and every boarding gate and bus gate counter is cleaned after every flight. Hand sanitizers are given at immigration and security screening points.
Qatar Airways now operates over 650 weekly flights to more than 90 destinations, offering flexible travel options to more destinations than any other airline.
