What to know
- JetBlue has become the first airline in the country to use new, cutting-edge ultraviolet light technology in its cleaning efforts as a means of fighting coronavirus.
- JFK Airport in New York, along with Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, have been selected to pilot the new UV system for treating surfaces inside JetBlue aircraft.
- JetBlue will use the system while continuing other cleaning methods. In clinical studies, ultraviolet light has been found to be able to significantly reduce certain viruses and bacteria, including SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, when used appropriately at certain levels.
It’s a device that looks like a mix between a beverage cart and a robot, but is meant to help continue the fight against the coronavirus.
On Wednesday, JetBlue became the first airline in the country to use new, cutting-edge ultraviolet light technology in its cleanup efforts as a means of fighting coronavirus.
JFK Airport in New York, along with Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, have been selected to pilot the new UV system for treating surfaces inside JetBlue aircraft.
Honeywell’s new UV cabin system is being used as part of a pilot by JetBlue Airways, marking the first time that a US airline has implemented the technology. The robotic system can get through an airplane cabin in less than 10 minutes.
The Honeywell UV Cabin System is about the size of an aircraft beverage cart and has UV-C light arms that extend over the top of the seats and sweep the cabin to treat aircraft surfaces.
JetBlue will use the system while continuing other cleaning methods. In clinical studies, ultraviolet light has been found to be able to significantly reduce certain viruses and bacteria, including SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, when used appropriately at certain levels.
“With the safety of our crew and customers as our top priority, JetBlue’s Safety From Scratch initiative maintains a layered approach to safety by ensuring healthy crew members, providing flexibility, adding space, reducing contact points and maintaining surfaces clean and sanitized, “said Joanna Geraghty, president and chief operating officer of JetBlue. “As we seek to add additional layers of protection through the use of state-of-the-art technology, we have identified the Honeywell UV Cabin System as a potential game changer when it comes to efficiently aiding our efforts to disinfect surfaces on board.” .
Honeywell has delivered eight of the devices to JetBlue in two of the airline’s major cities, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. These two locations started a 90-day pilot program.
“JetBlue was immediately interested in this new product when we demonstrated it a few weeks ago, and now JetBlue is receiving our first systems,” said Mike Madsen, President and CEO of Honeywell Aerospace. “We have rapidly increased production in the UV cabin system, and our company is working on a range of solutions to help passengers feel more comfortable when flying.”
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