Heightened Airline Cleaning Initiatives at Detroit Metro Airport
August 27, 2020 | Story by Stan Smith | Photos by Detroit Metro AirportThe coronavirus pandemic has profoundly changed business travel. Meeting planners must now pay special attention to the safety and cleanliness of transportation options. For meeting attendees, travel planning used to be a simple process, but it has been complicated by new safety protocols. Equipping meeting attendees with updated flight cleanliness protocols will help restore confidence.
The Detroit Metro Airport has worked closely with airline partners to create and implement a comprehensive cleanliness initiative. Understanding that Detroit is a major airlift hub for the Midwest, the team has been proactively safeguarding the airport since the beginning of the pandemic.
We’ve compiled key safety highlights from major airline partners at the Detroit Airport. For each airline, we’ve included a link to their website for more information. We encourage you to check each airline’s website for any updates.
Check-In
- Facemasks provided for customers
- Customers must confirm that they are system free and not been exposed or diagnosed with COVID-19
- Baggage stations are wiped down and sanitized
- Social distancing floor decal reminders
Boarding
- Electrostatic spraying used to sanitize gate and jet bridges
- Fly Delta App can be used to scan boarding pass for touches boarding
- Boarding from back to front – 10 passengers at a time
- Middle seats have been blacked
In-Flight
- Extensive cleaning checklist completed before each flight
- Lavatories are cleaned during the flight
- Air-filtration filters and recirculates air via high-grade HEPA filters that extract 99.99% of particles, including viruses
- Each passenger receives a Care Kit with mask and sanitizing wipes
- Limited food and beverage offerings
General Disinfecting
- Hand sanitizer stations added near high traffic and high touch locations throughout the airport
- Plexiglass shields added to all Delta counters
- Security station bins wiped down and sanitized throughout the day
- Alternating security lanes
- Hand sanitizer stations provided new security exit
- Security protocols used to disinfect and clean
Learn more about Delta Air Lines safety procedures
Check-In
- Sneeze guards at check-in and gate podiums
- Social distancing indicators
- Touchless check-in for customers with bags (not available at all airports)
Boarding
- Disinfecting high-touch areas
- Providing hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes
- Customers can self-scan boarding passes
- Boarding in small groups from back to front of the plane
In-Flight
- Individual sanitizer wipes available
- De-planing 5 rows at a time to reduce crowding
- Using high-efficiency (HEPA) filters to circulate air
General Disinfecting
- Electrostatic spraying to disinfect plane
- Disinfecting high-touch areas on the plan prior to boarding
Learn more about United Airlines safety procedures
Check-In
- Mask covering required at all times
- Recommended use of Southwest App for checkin
- Ticket counters, gates, and baggage claim areas cleaned multiple times a day
Boarding
- Boarding in groups of 10 for social distancing
- Middle seats are open for distancing
In-Flight
- Serving water and a snack mix on flights over 250 mils. All other snack and beverage service is suspended
- Air-filtration filters and recirculates air every 2-3 minutes
General Disinfecting
- Electrostatic disinfectant and anti-microbial spray used on all aircraft surfaces
- Deep cleaning of each plane every night
Learn more about Southwest Airlines safety procedures
Check-In
- Cleaning and sanitizing kiosks ticket counters, passenger service counters and baggage offices
- Adding PURELL hand sanitizer stations
- Using alternating check in work stations to maintain distancing
- Touchless check-in for customers with bags (not available at all airports)
Boarding
- Plexiglass shields at boarding gates and service kids
- Encouraging social distancing at the gate
- Self-scan of boarding passes
- 50% of all middle seats are blocked
In-Flight
- Air-filtration filters and recirculates air every 2-3 minutes
- Limited snack service
- Deep cleaning of all high-touch surfaces
- Wipes or gels available on most international flights and some domestic flights over 900 miles
General Disinfecting
- Aircraft cleaned at key touchpoint throughout the day
- Aircraft undergo a deep cleaning procedure on a regularly scheduled basis
Learn more about American Airlines safety procedures
Check-In
- All passengers required to complete a coronavirus health declaration
- Touchless check-in, bag-tagging, and boarding via JetBlue mobile app
Boarding
- Middle seats blocked through 10/15
- Back-to-front boarding for most customers
- Personal Protection Packs offered to customers with sanitizer and wipes
In-Flight
- Crew members wear medical-grade gloves
- Temporarily suspending onboard purchases
- Pre-sealed snack and bottled water
- Air-filtration filters and recirculates air every 2-3 minutes
General Disinfecting
- Common terminal surfaces regularly cleaned and disinfected
- Aircraft deep cleaned each nights.
- Common surfaces on the aircraft cleaned before each flight
- Electrostatic disinfectant and anti-microbial spray used on all aircraft surfaces
Learn more about JetBlue safety procedures
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1Detroit Metro Airport2500 World Gateway Place, I-94 at Merriman Road, Detroit, MI 48242734-AIR-PORT (24
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