Boeing to Introduce Ultraviolet Wand to Combat COVID-19

Boeing has teamed up with Florida-based Healthe Inc. to develop a new ultraviolet (UV) wand as part of its Confident Travel Initiative (CTI) to support the health and safety of passengers and crew amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The wand uses 222-nanometer UVC light, which research finds effectively inactivates pathogens. The new tech is expected to be available for airlines in late fall.

The UV device builds on measures already in place, including high-efficiency particulate air filters designed to trap 99.9 percent of particulates.

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Resembling a carry-on suitcase, the easy-to-transport device allows airlines to pass UV light over high-touch surfaces, quickly sanitizing everywhere the light reaches. The new UV wand was found to be particularly effective in compact spaces and is capable of sanitizing a flight deck in fewer than 15 minutes.

"The UV wand is designed to be more effective than similar devices. It quickly disinfects surfaces on an airplane and further strengthens other layers of protection for passengers and crew," said Mike Delaney, who leads Boeing's CTI efforts, in a statement. "Boeing spent six months transforming an idea for the wand into a working model, and Healthe will now take that prototype and make it available to the world at large."

"We are proud to be assisting Boeing as they work with their partner airlines to enhance in-cabin plane sanitization efforts. This could also benefit schools, hospitals, offices, wherever pathogens go," added Healthe executive chairman Abe Morris. "As we ramp up deployment of our cutting-edge UVC and Far-UVC 222 light solutions across many sectors, this new commercial-grade wand will be another powerful tool in the sanitization arsenal to protect passengers against the spread of harmful viruses."

Etihad Airways was the first to evaluate the new device, which was demonstrated on the Etihad 787-10 ecoDemonstrator airplane last month.