Finavia to pilot UVC disinfection at airports security check

Finavia, the company that operates the country’s airports will start disinfecting security control trays with UVC light technology that kills bacteria and viruses.

During the pilot project, equipment based on different technologies will be tested at a number of security control lines, said a Finavia press release on Thursday.

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we 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,” said Finavia’s Helsinki Airport Executive Director Ulla Lettijeff.

The disinfection technology tested at the airport is based on UVC light, used for the cleaning of surfaces in, among others, health care and the food industry. UVC effectively destroys bacteria on surfaces.

Lettijeff says Finavia introduced more efficient wash cycles and disinfection practices for security control trays, even before the coronavirus crisis had actually hit Finland.

The aim is to first carry out a pilot to gain experience of the new technology. The pilot involves testing of a variety of different equipment in order to find the product that best suits the airport environment.