Battered by the COVID-19 pandemic for the past year, there is some exciting news for the travel and airlines industry.
UVeya, a Swiss tech startup, is in the process of conducting trials of robots which use ultraviolet light to protect airline passengers from coronavirus.
In partnership with airline services provider, Dubai-based dnata, Uveya tested the production version of the technology on the aircraft of Swiss regional carrier Helvetic Airways last month.
An autonomous sterilisation robot emits concentrated UV-C light, which has been used for 50 years to clean hospitals and laboratories during the cleanup process. The device can effectively kill more than 99% of bacteria and pathogens in the air and on all surfaces in just a few minutes, without using any chemicals.
“This is a proven technology. It’s been used for over 50 years in hospitals and laboratories and it’s very efficient,” Jodoc Elmiger, UVeya co-founder, told Reuters. “It doesn’t leave any trace or residue.”
Elmiger’s team has built three prototypes. The one used for demonstration inside a Helvetic jet at the Zurich Airport, had lights mounted on the robot in a crucifix-shaped frame. It cast everything in a soft-blue glow as it slowly moved up the aisle. One robot can disinfect a single-aisled plane in 13 minutes, though larger planes will take longer.
Tristan Chevignard, business development manager of UVeya, said: “We are thrilled to explore the aviation market for our UVC disinfection solution with such renowned partners. We believe this collaboration will help assure aircraft are clean, safe and up to the high-level standards of this industry.”
UVeya is working on a way to improve the safety of airplane cabins by using robots to disinfect the cabins with UV light.
“We are delighted to join forces with Uveya to offer airline partners another innovative, safe and reliable solution,” said Lukas Gyger, chief operating officer of dnata Switzerland.
“Our enhanced cabin cleaning services will deliver enhanced safety and efficiency, helping our customers restore confidence in air travel. We continue to invest in the latest technologies to provide service excellence to our customers and their passengers across our global operations.”
