Qatar Airways, one of the few airlines to continue operating during the peak pinch of the crisis, has been at the forefront of this. In September 2020, the Doha-based carrier announced that they had become the first global carrier to operate Honeywell’s ultraviolet cabin cleaning technology.

As Qatar Airways announced in a press release at the time: “In clinical tests, UV light has been shown to be capable of inactivating various viruses and bacteria when properly applied.”

The Honeywell UV Cabin System, operated by Qatar Aviation Services (QAS), has extendable UV arms that treat aircraft seats, surfaces, and cabins without using cleaning chemicals.

“Having already received six of the Honeywell UV Cabin System,” Qatar Airways wrote in September 2020, “the devices have undergone comprehensive testing onboard Qatar Airways aircraft, before entering service.”

Come May 2021. Qatar Airways took to Instagram to share the latest development in their ultraviolet cabin disinfectant technology. They show how the aircraft is cleaned, from the cabin to the cockpit. Qatar Airways had already announced this move to the latest version of Honeywell technology in April 2021, writing: “Qatar Airways becomes the first global carrier to operate Honeywell’s Ultraviolet (UV) Cabin System version 2.0, further advancing its hygiene measures on board.”

The latest version of the Honeywell UV Cabin System that is owned and operated by Qatar Aviation Services (QAS), has been introduced to add flexibility, improve reliability, mobility, and ease of use compared to its predecessor, with extended UV wings that treat both narrow and wide areas on board, reducing the overall disinfection time. This version also includes a hand wand that disinfects areas like the cockpit and other smaller spaces and is non-motorized leading to less battery consumption.”

After receiving 17 units of the latest version of the Honeywell UV Cabin System V2, the devices have all undergone comprehensive testing onboard Qatar Airways’ aircraft. The airline aims to operate them on board all aircraft turnarounds at Hamad International Airport (HIA).