Jetblue Deploys Ultraviolet Cleaning Robots for Airplanes In A Fight Against COVID-19

Jetblue has officially become the first airline in the country to use ultraviolet light systems to fight against Covid-19 in its aircraft.

What We Know:

  • Jetblue, on Wednesday, became the first-ever aircraft to use new ultraviolet technology within its airplanes in the fight against coronavirus along with other cleaning practices.
  • The airline will be using Honeywell’s new ultraviolet system that claims to clean its full-size aircraft in about 10 minutes. It has seemed to decrease bacteria and viruses such as SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV if administered correctly. The system is about the size of an aircraft cart and has UV-C light arms that expand over the top of seats and brush the cabin to treat aircraft surfaces.
  • The New York JFK Airport, alongside Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, came to be the chosen airports to test the new UV system to treat surfaces in JetBlue aircraft interiors.

“With the safety of crewmembers and customers as a priority, JetBlue’s Safety from the Ground Up lead is to maintain a layered approach to safety by guaranteeing healthy crewmembers, providing flexibility, adding space, reducing touch points, keeping surfaces clean and sanitized,” said Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue’s president, and COO. “Looking to add extra layers of protection by using cutting-edge technology, we have found that Honeywell UV Cabin System as a possible game-changer when it comes to assisting in our efforts to sanitize surfaces onboard efficiently.”

  • Honeywell has sent eight devices to Jetblue at two of the main cities, New York John F. Kennedy airport and Fort-Lauderdale International Airport. These two places have started a 90-day trial program.

Overall, expectations are high for this system to work, and maybe travelers will feel a lot more confident and safe when traveling knowing that the aircraft might have been able to get rid of Covid-19, and there is little to no exposure to the virus.