Delhi Airport ready to use ultraviolet disinfection technology to ensure passengers coronavirus COVID-19 safe journey

New Delhi: Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said on Monday (May 11) that it is ready with modern technology to ensure coronavirus COVID-19 free journey to passengers while citing World Technology Day. 

Issuing a statement, the DIAL said it has made operational several technology-based unique facilities at Delhi Airport, including specially designed UV (ultraviolet) based tunnels to disinfect Checkpoint trays and baggage, mobile UV tower to disinfect surfaces in the terminal area and handheld UV device. 

"In addition, passenger trolley disinfection system and walk-in shoe sanitizer mats are also unique facilities for passenger safety," it said, adding that Delhi Airport is ensuring the safety of the passengers who shall be travelling through the airport once the lockdown is lifted and flight operation resumes. 

At present, this facility is being provided to the passengers scheduled for rescue flights in the wake of a recent coronavirus outbreak, the statement said.

About safety measures, the DIAL spokesperson said, “DIAL has been working round the clock during this COVID-19 crisis with a sole aim of keeping its passengers safe at any cost. We have not only focused on the evacuation and relief flights efficiently but also for the passengers, who will be travelling through our airport post the lockdown ends."

"Since trolleys and baggage of the passengers can be a medium of the spread of the infection, DIAL has developed a number of UV technology based machines and similar disinfection tunnels that will help disinfect various touchpoints of the passengers. We have also put in place shoe sanitizing mats. These facilities are deployed at several strategic points at the airport. These initiatives have been taken to enhance passengers’ safety owing to the present condition caused by COVID-19,” the spokesperson added. 

Meanwhile, the statement further stated that it has developed the state-of-the-art facility that will disinfect all the trolleys using disinfectant and trays with UV- the first touch point of passengers at the airport - before the passengers use. The used trolleys and trays can be passed one after another, where each of them shall take approximately five seconds to come out virus-free.

"A live CCTV feed of UV scanning process mounted at baggage reclaim hall allows the passengers to see the disinfecting process, in which high-intensity UV lamps are being used for on-line disinfection of their bags," it said, "The disinfection process through UV lamps is quick and can be done in a closed environment unlike other processes of sanitisation where proper care has to be taken with respect to ventilation, effectiveness and its coverage."

According to the DIAL, it took approximately five days of rigorous dedication to develop the prototype, run the trial at different locations with various sizes, and finalize the desired outcome.

For providing enhanced IAQ (Indoor air Quality), DIAL has also installed more than 700 UV lamps in AHU (312 nos), adding "mobile disinfecting towers have been developed and provided at the airport to disinfect various locations of terminal buildings."

"These are germicidal lamps that produce Ultraviolet light. This short-wave ultraviolet light disrupts DNA based paring, causing formation of pyrimidine dimers and leads to the inactivation of bacteria, viruses and protozoa," it said, adding "As shoes can also be the potential source of covid-carrier, shoe sanitizer mats have been placed at strategic places. These mats are soaked with chemical that will disinfect the shoes of the passengers."

The DIAL has also decided to put about 336 automatic hand sanitizer dispenser, which is battery or electrical operated, are in process to be strategically deployed at the terminal so that regular sanitizing can be encouraged among the passengers, adding "These dispensers are equipped with various refill sizes of up to 2L so that regular filling of IPA is not required."

Meanwhile, intense sanitisation of regular used utilities like washrooms, terminal buildings, and various other passenger touchpoints are being conducted at the airport to restrict the spread of novel coronavirus once the airport starts full-fledged operations.