-based carrier, Southwest Airlines, has implemented new cleaning protocols where armrests and seat belts will not be wiped down between each flight. This is a significant change to the cleaning procedures initiated in March when the pandemic took a global toll.
Between-flight disinfecting is now concentrated on high-touch areas, such as bathrooms and tray tables. Ro Hawthorne of Southwest mentions that these areas are particularly susceptible to contamination from customer use and food/beverage consumption. Additionally, Southwest will provide sanitizing wipes to passengers upon request for surface cleaning.
These updated procedures arise from an increase in flight scheduling and a need to reduce turnaround time between flights. While armrests and seat belts will not be disinfected between flights, they will be included in the airline’s enhanced nightly cleaning protocol. During this process, cleaning teams dedicate six to seven hours to deep-clean all interior surfaces of each aircraft, which includes seat belt buckles, tray tables, air vents, armrests, galleys, and lavatories.
Each plane undergoes a monthly “deep” electrostatic cleaning, which the airline claims kills viruses on contact and creates an anti-microbial coating that lasts for 30 days. According to Southwest, this application technique generates a fine mist combining both a disinfection agent and antimicrobial cleaner, effectively wrapping around all surfaces in a manner that manual cleaning cannot achieve.
“Southwest will monitor customer and employee feedback as we adapt to the new normal in air travel, while ensuring that safety remains our top priority,” says Hawthorne.
