With the increasing number of passengers that fly across the world every day, cleaning and hygiene in aircrafts has never been more important. Shanti Petiwala talks to industry experts about how they go about maintaining the exteriors and interiors of an aircraft given the tight schedules that airlines go by.

According to IATA (International Air Transport Association), more than 8 million people fly every day. In fact, in 2013, the total number of passengers was close to 3.1 billion a year. By 2014, IATA had predicted that the number would grow to 3.3 billion (almost 44 per cent of the world’s population). It is not surprising then that aircrafts are possibly one of the most important and frequently used modes of transport globally. Given this, cleaning takes on even more importance in the aircraft space. In fact, the World Health Organisation (WHO) in its Guide to Hygiene and Sanitation, cautions that commercial air transport is potentially an efficient means of spreading communicable diseases widely through surface contact and proximity to infected people. This is where cleaning and hygiene in aircrafts takes the forefront.

Cleaning in aircrafts is not only important from the infection control point of view, but also holds significance for maintenance of the aircrafts and, in commercial aviation, to engage passengers to continue to fly the airline again. The former is one of the most important aspects of cleaning in a place like the Middle East. Nicolas Tejera, Director of Maintenance, Falcon Aviation, elaborates, “The Middle East has some extremely harsh weather – extreme temperatures, salty air and sand storms – which does not bode well for aircrafts that are on continuous rounds. Moreover, Wyn Griffiths, Head of Facility Management, Transguard Group, adds, “The airline industry is extremely competitive and, other than price, on-board service and cabin appearance are ranked amongst the top differentiators between airlines.” Hence, it could not be more evident that aircraft cleaning is important for both the passengers and aircraft companies.

Exterior cleaning

Falcon Aviation has a fleet of around 24 helicopters and 15 airplanes that service VIPs, VVIPs, tourism in Dubai and also works as a transport mode for the oil and gas industry. When it comes to cleaning the exteriors of these planes, some components require special care. For instance, in the case of helicopters, the engine and blades are crucial. Cleaning not only maintains them but also works to allow technicians to regularly inspect their mechanisms for ay defect. At Falcon, a dedicated team works around the clock to ensure that each aircraft that flies into the hangar is cleaned immediately from inside out. Tejera says, “While both airplanes and helicopters have turbine engines, the helicopter engine is more delicate and needs special attention.” He elaborates that cleaning it requires special equipment and chemicals. Moreover, the blades of the helicopter need regular maintenance to prevent corrosion and deterioration.

Transguard Group has a range of services for the aviation industry, including facilities management. Griffiths highlights, “While external cleaning is important for the aesthetic appearance of the aircraft, far more crucial is the effect dirt, grit and grease can have on the safety and performance of the aircraft. For instance, highly polished surfaces create less friction, while dirt and grit can increase the wear and tear of moving parts.”

He explains the three methods of aircraft exterior cleaning, which involves wet wash, dry wash and polishing. Wet wash removes oil, grease, carbon deposits and most soils, with the exception of corrosion and oxide films. The cleaning compounds used are usually applied by spray or mop, after which high-pressure running water is used as a rinse. Either alkaline or emulsion cleaners can be used in the wet wash method. Dry wash is used to remove airport film, dust, and small accumulations of dirt and soil when the use of liquids is neither desirable nor practical. This method is not suitable for removing heavy deposits of carbon, grease, or oil, especially in the engine exhaust areas. Dry wash materials are applied with spray, mops, or cloths, and removed by dry mopping or wiping with clean, dry cloths. Finally, polishing restores the luster to painted and unpainted surfaces of the airplane, and is performed after the surfaces have been cleaned.

Interior cleaning

A key part of cabin appearance is cabin cleanliness, so maintaining extremely high standards of cleanliness is not only important for hygiene and health reasons, it is also a key factor in delivering a positive customer experience and therefore supporting customer retention. Most interior cleaning is manual so that the work is done thoroughly and makes an impression. Griffiths highlights the various cleaning schedules for interior cleaning of aircrafts.

Turnaround cleans are those that happen between flights when the flight is on ground. The average time for this is usually 30-40 minutes and includes a deck check and clean, litter removal, checking overhead lockers vacuuming of cabins, wiping of tray tables and changing linen. It also includes cleaning and checking the galleys and replenishing the washrooms. Special attention is paid to the first class and business cabins. The Mini Deep Clean every week to ten days involves an extensive interior clean including seats, crew work stations, doors, curtains, fumigation, etc. The A Check Clean, scheduled every two months where all aspects of mini deep cleaning are observed along with the changing of the carpets, curtains and seat covers and the dismantling and washing of the lavatories and galley ovens. Finally, the C Check Clean schedule every year in the hangar includes the A Check Clean and the cleaning of the cargo holds.

Hygiene and pest control

A huge part of aircraft cleaning involves hygiene and pest control. While pest control largely falls under the Mini Deep Clean of an aircraft, hygiene is a regular requirement. Monney Javadi, Operations Manager, AirChem Consumables, says, “Passengers and cabin crew on board an aircraft can be carriers of any sort of disease. Hence meticulous cleaning of the toilets along with sanitary treatment, handing and disposing of toilet waste, is important.” While toilets on an aircraft include a complex electrical flushing mechanism, they remain chemical closets and have retention tanks

The retention tank, therefore is important. Without any chemical, it could be a cesspool simply holding sewage till the contents are discharged at the next airport. Spread of any infection can be avoided with the use of a simple chemical introduced into the tank. It should have detergent properties, deodorise for at least 24 hours, allow easy cleaning, not react with excreta or be detrimental to waste treatment. And, finally it should have bacterial properties. Apart from this, hygiene involves the use of deodorisers and in-flight catering hygiene.

Products and equipment

Each airline and/or aircraft manufacturer normally has its own approved, certified and recommended lists of equipment and cleaning products, together with its own set of health and safety standards. Wear and tear of the various parts of the cabin interior are important considerations, but of paramount importance is that the cleaning products have to be suitable for use in confined spaces and within the controlled environment of an aircraft.

Chemicals used have to be specific to the area and specific component that needs to be cleaned. In other spaces, like the interiors of the cabin, the use of water must be restricted. Tejera cautions, “Interior cleaning must be undertaken with extreme care. All airplanes have wires under the smooth panels that highlight the aesthetics of the interiors. There, for the staff needs to take extreme care when it comes to the usage of water or liquids during the cleaning process.” Moreover, chemicals must be used with care, especially when it comes to fire treated carpets, seat covers and linen. Strong chemicals can completely remove the treatment. Otherwise, for all other means and purposes, the aircraft cleaning manuals are pretty self descriptive.

Training

All aircraft cleaning staff undergo thorough job-specific training. Apart from learning the vast array of cleaning techniques involved in aircraft cleaning, a major part of their training is focused on health and safety. At Falcon, the 20 people strong team is separated for working on the helicopters and airplanes. Along with refresher training every year, the moment an updated model of an aircraft or helicopter is included in the fleet, the entire team undergoes HSE and general cleaning training. After all, damage to any part of the aircraft results in the flight being grounded, in turn bringing about loss of revenue. Tejera concludes that training is also given to anyone who would remotely have to touch or go near an aircraft.

General challenges

When it comes to the challenges in aircraft cleaning, both Tejera and Griffiths talk about the operations being time sensitive. Staff availability is required 24x7 and the teams need to be coordinated well enough to organise their schedules on the basis of the flights landing schedules. Moreover, the quality of work is defined by the most stringent aviation cleaning standards and the companies are required to dovetail with engineering services and maintenance when relevant.

Tejera concludes, cleaning and maintenance of aircrafts is not only added value to the aircraft, but also added value to the company and the industry as a whole. Aviation is one of the top markets when it comes to quality and technology, and if the aircrafts are not maintained well, all this can be devaluated in the blink of an eye.