Airbus Services COVID-19
Safety has always been the greatest priority in aviation, and for decades our industry has proven its ability to manage risks in a professional, innovative and globally-coordinated way.
Airbus’ response to COVID-19 involves a company mobilisation as unprecedented as the coronavirus itself: with 53 crisis management teams mobilised around the world, and employees who are demonstrating an unwavering commitment to adapt, realign and reinvent as the situation evolves.
Everyone has questions about how to protect their health while traveling. As we take to the skies again we want to provide facts to reassure so we can make sure flying continues to be a source of enjoyment for all.
Is the cabin air clean?
We have leveraged innovation for decades to design a cabin environment which is safe for passengers and crew to breathe clean air throughout their journeys.
The air in the cabin is renewed about every 2-3 minutes. It is a mix of fresh air drawn from outside and purified air from the cabin that has passed through extremely efficient filters. These are called High-Efficiency-Particulate Arrestors (HEPA) filters, which remove more than 99.9% of particles present in the air, down to the size of microscopic bacteria and virus clusters.
Air enters the cabin through vents near the overhead bins, travelling downwards before being removed via vents in the floor. This strong downwards flow prevents horizontal air movement within the cabin, reducing risk of cross-contamination between adjacent seat rows.
The air is then either expelled from the aircraft or recirculated via the HEPA filters.
In other words the cabin air is clean!
Is cabin environment safe and clean?
Airlines perform thorough cleaning and disinfection routines to create a hygienic environment for everyone on board. Specialised teams work with highly efficient approved products and disinfectants to conduct deep cleaning of aircraft cabins, lavatories and their surfaces, crew rest and galley working areas as well as the cockpit.
Airbus provides information to airlines and operators on appropriate cleaning procedures - pre-flight - as well as on the type of cleaning products to use in the aircraft.
At Airbus, we are engaging and exchanging information with airlines and operators on appropriate cleaning procedures as well as on the type of cleaning products to use in the aircraft.
In addition, we collaborate with airlines and aviation partners to look into alternative and promising methods to disinfect.
- Fogging (also known as spraying or misting): Using a fogging machine to spray disinfectant liquid on aircraft surfaces
- Thermal treatment: Heating the cabin to a temperature much higher than usual ambient temperature
- Ultraviolet (UV) light: Exposing aircraft surfaces to short-wave ultraviolet (UV-C) light
- We are also exploring use cases for active ion generation for disinfection.
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