The Airports Authority of India plans to install ultraviolet tunnels for disinfecting baggage at Chennai airport when flights resume.
Officials said that they had been considering the option and a number of firms had approached them recently. They added that the facility would be brought in only if a company managed to obtain certification from an authorised government lab, indicating that usage of the tunnel would kill viruses on the surface of baggage.
“There needs to be a validation from health authorities and a certification to this effect. Then we can use it. If we don’t find a firm that has the certification, then we have an alternate option as well. We are looking at ways to spray disinfectants on the baggage,” an official said.
Sources said that airline staff as well as CISF personnel had raised concerns over having to touch baggage. “Though they will wear gloves and will be provided with hand sanitisers, they are still apprehensive,” another official said.
Recently, Delhi and Kochi airports installed UV-based disinfection facilities.
Sameer Abdul Azeez, a scientist at DRDO’s Naval Physical Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kochi, said that they had developed and operationalised a UV baggage disinfector at the Kochi airport.
NPOL has been in the process of developing standalone equipment, the Automated Luggage Disinfector - Using UV Bath. After developing a prototype, the lab has been doing tests, along with the Government Medical College in Ernakulam, which will then be evaluated by the National Institute of Virology.
“Once medical validation comes by the month-end, the industry partner will commence commercial production so that they can be put to use at airports and other establishments,” he said.
