Photo above: Demonstration and familiarization on the usage of FMM Virtual Reality Tool to cleaning operatives.
Being an award-winning facility, providing a top-notch and outstanding cleaning service is critical for Hamad International Airport. To ensure this, FMM cleaning team, deployed at HIA Passenger Terminal Complex delivers and maintains a 5-star soft service operation which meets all the criteria of a premier passenger experience.
HIA welcomes around 100,000 passengers daily. Hence, time and productivity for one of the world’s biggest cleaning operations deployed in a 24/7 environment are of the essence. As an Integrated Facilities Management provider, FMM has equipped its housekeeping team with highly skilled management and supervision that provides ongoing training to operatives with modern equipment, in order to ensure excellent cleaning standards for a surface of more than 700,000 sqm.
The challenge cannot be more demanding as the Award of Skytrax, which runs one of the most important airport reviews and ranking sites in the world, has been given to HIA as the Best Airport of the world for two consecutive years (2021 and 2022). Besides this, HIA is the Middle East’s Cleanest Airport and 3rd Cleanest Airport worldwide; So, the framework is, without a doubt, really challenging and entails a success story and big accomplishment.
Aware of its responsibilities, FMM strives to contribute to the overall consolidation and improvement of HIA ranking through the continuous implementation of innovative cleaning processes. Eng. Irene Vidal, FMM CEO declares, “We shall continue to focus on providing upscale cleaning skills and expertise to our valued employees, thus coupled with the most optimized utilization of the newly acquired cleaning equipment and robotics. In addition to that, we started the journey into a new era of training with the implementation of Virtual Reality tools by reproducing the HIA environment and its particular cleaning activities”.
The VR training tool mentioned by Eng. Vidal is the first of its kind in the cleaning industry and has enabled new housekeepers to be trained while being virtually immersed in the environment of HIA previous weeks before the obtention of their airport pass.
Cleaning performance is secured through an optimal training dispensed for all employees’ grades. At the top of the hierarchy, managers and supervisors are trained directly by HIA and Ms. Jessica Jung, FMM Precinct Manager. In parallel, the cleaning operatives receive an immersive on-the-job training directly on the field surrounded by passengers, to understand from the beginning how cleaning has to be carried out in a busy environment. Ms. Jung and HIA representative, focusing on their training more on restoration and troubleshooting of various elastic, textile, and stone floorings.
For instance, 90% of the Passenger Terminal Complex consists of epoxy terrazzo flooring which is getting constantly restored and polished by a specialized and skilled FMM team using best-in-class diamond pads which provides an everlasting impression to passengers. Floorings are the biggest assets in any facility yet can be easily neglected by using wrong cleaning methods and chemicals. As per the employees’ feedback the technical flooring training is very advanced and detailed compared to other Facilities Management companies in the Gulf region. FMM also ensures that the majority of its cleaning chemicals used within HIA is certified EU Ecolabel to improve passenger’s safety and hygienic care.
And for the 104 walkalators and escalators widespread through the terminal, FMM has allocated an in-house operative team which is equipped with the latest technology of cleaning machines to ensure an impeccable standard even praised by the passengers themselves.
The same modernity is applied with carpet cleaning machines such as the most advanced and eco-friendly Vac Machine, and the new generation of wide walk behind vacuum cleaners that considerably improve the indoor air quality as it can vacuum, within a short time, vast carpeted areas. FMM is proud to implement those machines at HIA as the first airport in the Middle East which meets the demand to clean carpets efficiently during tight schedules.
According to Ms. Jessica Jung: “Each cleaning equipment, tools and chemicals deployed at HIA Passenger Terminal Complex is a result of a thoughtful analysis and testing to improve the overall cleaning performance of more than 1,300 employees, as well as our safety and quality standards. Our goal is to reinforce and develop partnerships for chemicals and equipment with international manufacturers to maintain the high standards and to be pioneers in the cleaning industry along with HIA vision and strategy.”
In line with the above, FMM has introduced in October 2022, a new housekeeper mounted on wheels and able to clean up to 3,000 m2 per hour without tiredness and exhaustion that attracts the curiosity of passengers and visitors alike. This special supporter is one of the world’s most advanced cleaning robots and the first one to ever operate in a Middle East airport. Beyond the excitement of having a robotic colleague, FMM cleaning operatives have been trained on how to interact, control and assist the Ecobot whenever needed.