American Airlines will test first EPA-approved virus-killing spray on Texas flights
American Airlines will be the first airline to use a “long-lasting” spraying solution capable of killing 99.9% of viruses and bacteria, including coronaviruses, in the coming months. It is the first antiviral to be approved by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The product, coined SurfaceWise2, works by layering high-touch surfaces such as tray tables and seat buckles with a nontoxic coating that inactivates pathogens within two hours of application, and it continues to protect against them for up to a week, according to the biotechnology company behind its development, Allied BioScience.
The EPA’s “emergency exemption” is solely for Texas-based customers — as of now — and extends to two Total Orthopedics Sports & Spine clinics in the state, Allied BioScience said in a statement. The company is also pursuing the emergency waiver in all 50 states.
And in the coming months, the company will submit a “non-emergency approval” for the disinfectant by submitting additional data on its efficacy in killing germs “to meet EPA’s registration requirements as an antiviral surface coating,” the EPA announced.
If the registration is approved and completed, the public will be able to purchase the product at some point. Its creators say they hope the disinfectant will help customers feel more safe while flying; they also envision offices, schools, gyms and other “high-traffic areas” using the spray in their fight against the pandemic.
“This initial EPA approval clears the way to effectively protect people against COVID-19 as a residual solution proven to provide long-term, non-toxic surface protection from viruses, including coronaviruses,” CEO Michael Ruley said in a statement.
American Airlines plans on eventually using the spray throughout its entire fleet, including planes in its American Eagle regional partners, it said in a statement. Other steps the airline is taking include more frequent cleanings of gate areas, ticket counters and baggage service offices, providing sanitizing wipes to passengers, requiring face masks on board and limiting food and beverage delivery during flights.
The company also said their American Way magazine is printed with “antimicrobial technology that helps prevent the growth of unwanted microbes.”
However, the airline received backlash at the end of June from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for returning to full-capacity flights after blocking the middle seat for some time to encourage social distancing.
The agency’s director Robert Redfield said the move was a “substantial disappointment” according to CNBC. Since American’s decision in July, other airlines have followed, including Spirit and United, with the majority of others planning on ending the middle-seat rule in September or October.
The CDC maintains that the main mode of coronavirus transmission is via close contact with infected individuals, but that touching contaminated surfaces or objects then touching your mouth, nose or eyes can also lead to infection — two scenarios that are possible on airplanes.
While the product is an attempt to revive the economy by gaining the public’s trust — and a move to protect them from COVID-19 — the developers of SurfaceWise2 said the spray is not meant to replace regular cleanings, but rather a cushion to offer extra protection in between them.
This story was originally published August 24, 2020 at 12:27 PM with the headline "American Airlines will test first EPA-approved virus-killing spray on Texas flights."
