Finnish operator Finavia has announced it will start disinfecting security control trays with UVC light technology that kills bacteria and viruses. During the pilot project, various UVC equipment based on differing technologies will be tested on several security control lines at Helsinki Airport.
“Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have already upgraded the cleaning process of security control trays during the spring, but the aim of the pilot project is to raise hygiene standards to a new level and find the best UVC disinfection method for the airport environment. Our expectations are high for the performance of the equipment we are piloting,” explained Finavia’s Ulla Lettijeff, Helsinki Airport executive director.
The disinfection technology tested at the airport is based on UVC light, already used extensively for the cleaning of surfaces in industries such as healthcare and food production. Lettijeff says that Finavia had already introduced more efficient wash cycles and disinfection practices for security control trays before the coronavirus crisis had reached Finland.
Equipment for the pilot scheme will be supplied by a range of companies, including Finnish firm LedFuture Oy, which has delivered an LED-technology based disinfection solution for testing by Finavia.
According to LedFuture, the UVC-LED disinfection technology is energy efficient, environmentally friendly and quick in comparison with traditional cleaning methods, and it is based on research by the University of Helsinki, the University of Eastern Finland and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).