Hong Kong Airport is testing a full-body disinfecting machine that could be used to spray sanitiser on passengers.
Dubbed “CLeanTech”, the airport said the person would undergo a temperature check before entering this booth-like machine for 40 seconds for “disinfection and sanitising procedures”. Inside the enclosed space, santiser will be sprayed on to the person’s body, avoiding the face.
Currently, the facility is designated for use by staff only “who take part in public health and quarantine duties” at the airport.
Airport Authority Hong Kong told Business Traveller Asia-Pacific that it “will review the possibility on the use by passengers in the future but there is no conclusion yet”.
The airport said the surface of these booths are equipped with antimicrobial coating which can kill virus and bacteria on human bodies and clothing. Air movement inside these machines brings bacteria and viruses that may be on the passenger to the surface and these germs are then killed by the interior coating of the booth, according to a spokesperson from Airport Authority Hong Kong.
“Although air traffic has been impacted by the pandemic, the AA [Airport Authority] spares no effort in ensuring that the airport is a safe environment for all users. We will continue to look into new measures to enhance our cleaning and disinfection work,” said Steven Yiu, deputy director, service delivery of the Airport Authority Hong Kong.
Airport Authority Hong Kong is also carrying out pilot tests for antimicrobial coating which it describes as an invisible coating applied on surfaces in the terminal to destroy germs, bacteria and viruses. This coating has been applied to “high-touch” surfaces such as handles, passenger buses, smart check-in kiosks and check-in counters, toilets, the seating area in the terminal, baggage trolleys, and elevator buttons.
Once the trial is finished in May, the Airport Authority said it will consider implementing the antimicrobial coating as a long term disinfection measure.
Hong Kong International Airport has also deployed several self-driving robots to clean public areas in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
Hong Kong Airport is using virus-killing robots to disinfect public areas
