Southwest Airlines has announced that its team works throughout the day to execute an aircraft cleaning program built upon standing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) which is designed with Customer Safety and comfort in mind. As part of the program, Southwest aircraft routinely undergo more than six labor hours of cleaning every night.
As of March 4, Southwest’s Aircraft Appearance Technicians enhanced the cleaning procedures by expanding the use of an EPA-approved, hospital-grade disinfectant to address human touchpoints across the passenger cabin, lavatories, and flight deck.
Additionally, Southwest equips all of its aircraft with a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter, which filters out recirculated air onboard each plane to remove airborne particles. As a reference, HEPA filters are also used in hospitals to provide patients with clean air.