Covid-19: New anti-COVID coating approved for USA Airline cabins

American Airlines has received and exemption (actually the state of Texas has) – which means permission to use an anti-viral coating on the interiors of its complete fleet from the United States Environment Protection Authority.

American Airlines will begin applying the product known as SurfaceWise2 to its 1,500 strong fleet over the next few weeks. It’s hoped that this initiative will add to passenger confidence about flying, and thus bring closer a return to more normal levels of operations for airlines.

For Australia?

It is reported that an application has also been made to use the coronavirus destroying product on aircraft interiors in Australia, through the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), although it would also need to be approved for use by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The product is applied to interior surfaces after a deep clean, and is reportedly effective for 7 days.

Given that Qantas only conducts a deep clean on the interior of its aircraft every 56 days, after which it applies an anti-microbial spray that has a life of 28 days, I am not quite sure how the addition of this new product would work if it was approved and adopted by Australian airlines.

The exemption granted for the spray, developed for high risk surfaces long before COVID-19 came on the scene was approved by the US EPA on the basis the coating had no harmful effects on people or the environment.

2PAXfly Takeout

This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.

The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.

I don’t think this will cause a revolution, but always good to have a second weapon in the armoury.

I should point out that most, if not all airlines in America are practising some form of, albeit limited social distancing on aircraft, with middle-seat-free or similar. Also mask wearing by passengers and staff is now all but compulsory, with several airlines reportedly black-listing passengers who refuse.

I think it would assist the travel and business recovery in Australia if similar practices were adopted. I’m looking particularly at our major airline Qantas, although Virgin Australia, Rex and others are not free of my gaze!

Australian State border openings

Ok, of course you are right. Until state borders start opening, this is probably a second level issue.

With border closures being so popular in some states, don’t expect Queensland to re-open its borders until after the state election on 31 October. Even worse – Western Australia (WA) doesn’t go to the polls until 13 March 2021 – so there are still quite a few months to go. The Northern Territory just had theirs, so they should open up now (expecially since I want to take my husband to Uluru soon). Tasmania and South Australian elections are off in 2022, so they have no excuse!

New South Wales will open its border with Victoria as soon as those filthy southerners get their outbreak under control, which won’t happen until at least mid September.

Is there an air of exasperation leaking in to my reporting? Maybe. Actually, even though it has stopped me tending to some important family business in South Australia, in the main I am a supporter of the border closures if they assist in the containment of outbreaks.