Harvard Study Validates Delta Air Lines' COVID-19 Cleaning Protocols

Image: PHOTO: A Delta Air Lines employee wipes down a tray table on one of its planes. (photo courtesy of Delta Air Lines) (Courtesy Delta Air Lines)

by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:50 AM ET, Fri October 9, 2020

A new Harvard study shows that disinfecting plane cabins is a key part of a multi-layered public health risk-reduction strategy, validating many of Delta Air Line's current policies.

A report published by faculty at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that airlines should focus cabin cleaning on high-frequency touch surfaces, with systematic disinfection of surfaces between flights on a daily basis.

While contaminated surfaces account for less than 10 percent of COVID-19 transmission risk in certain settings, the study found that diligent cleaning protocols, combined with a number of other strategies, offer significant protection for air travelers.

Since the beginning of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, Delta has sanitized Every interior surface with electrostatic sprayers before boarding, while also distributing customer care kits, hand sanitizer wipes and masks.

"We don't know of any other airline leveraging electrostatic spraying on every flight the way Delta is, and based on the products available in the market today, we're confident it's the best way to ensure every surface is disinfected," Delta Chief Customer Experience Officer Bill Lentsch said.

"Our Global Cleanliness division is pushing innovation and driving a standard of cleanliness that is best in class, and research like this shows that we're focusing on all the right measures," Lentsch continued.

The airline is also the first U.S. carrier to offer hand sanitizer stations near the boarding door and bathrooms on every flight, with installations already in progress. Overall, Delta has instituted more than 100 layers of protection from check-in to baggage claim.

Some of the other layers of protection include mandatory facial coverings for all passengers and customer-facing employees, industrial-grade HEPA filters cleaning the air on Delta's planes, blocking middle seat and limiting the number of travelers per flight.

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