As it prepares to cut its workforce by about 19,000 in a few months, when a government-supported airline wage program comes to an end, American Airlines is also adding to its health and safety measures to help instill confidence that it’s safe to fly.
In addition to its existing cleaning protocols, AA will be adding an electrostatic spraying solution from Allied BioScience to its safety program. The airline will be using SurfaceWise2 to clean interior surfaces on its entire fleet, including American Eagle regional planes.
Electrostatic spraying isn’t new, but what is new with the SurfaceWise2 coating is its longevity. Unlike other surface disinfecting cleaners, SurfaceWise2 provides sustained protection by creating a long-lasting, non-toxic protective layer that bonds to surfaces and kills 99.9% of viruses.
Based on testing at the University of Arizona’s Department of Environmental science, coated surfaces reduced the concentration of COVID-19 by greater than 90% in 10 minutes and by greater than 99.9% after two hours of contact. For the testing, surfaces were sprayed with the coating and left for 14 days before the test virus was added to them.
“SurfaceWise2 creates an invisible barrier on surfaces, which physically breaks down and kills virus cells. This helps protect passengers and crew members against the transmission of coronavirus via surfaces, particularly on high-touch areas such as seats, armrests, tray tables and overhead bin doors.”
Dr. Charles Gerba, infectious disease expert & environmental science professor at University of Arizona
Allied BioScience just received an EPA public health emergency waiver that allows the use of SurfaceWise2. The waiver application was submitted by the Texas Department of Agriculture – AA is headquartered in Dallas – but Allied is seeking emergency waivers in all 50 states.
“The EPA approval clears the way to begin effectively protecting consumers against COVID-19 as the only solution proven to provide long-term, non-toxic surface protection from the virus.”
Michael Ruley, CEO, Allied BioScience
Once the odorless coating is applied, it dries quickly and disrupts virus cell membranes and prevents the organisms from attaching and thriving on treated surfaces. Allied BioScience says its antimicrobial coating can protect surfaces for up to 90 days.
With that kind of longevity and effectiveness against COVID-19, SurfaceWise2 has implications far beyond the airline industry.
With schools re-opening across the nation for the fall semester, we’re already seeing the spread of the virus on campuses and in buildings. A surface disinfectant that can fight the virus on an ongoing basis could significantly help reduce the spread and protect students and faculty. Instead of constantly having to disinfect desktops, doors, and other surfaces, school cleaning staff can re-coat surfaces on a weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly basis, with the assurance those surfaces will continue to provide protection as students move between classrooms each day.
The same goes for business offices, retail establishments, hotels, restaurants, gyms, movie theaters – really any facility. Combined with mask and distancing policies, solutions like SurfaceWise2 can help instill a new level of confidence that risk levels are being minimized and travel, shopping, and other activities are safer – as long as other protocols are also being followed.
