Using ultraviolet light to disinfect an aircraft cabin could significantly reduce the transmission of disease among passengers on commercial aircraft, according to a report by U.S. researchers.1
Their report, published in the December 2024 issue of Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, included a review of 38 earlier studies of aircraft disinfection methods and concluded that, although further research is needed, adding ultraviolet-C (UV-C) technology to other disinfection protocols “holds the potential to add a significant level of risk mitigation to effectively reduce disease transmission and enhance safety.”
The report noted that although the transmission of infectious diseases among aircraft passengers is generally low, there have been documented cases of passengers who were infected by others on their flights, including a 2023 study that showed “strong evidence for in-flight transmission of a range of respiratory pathogens on airline …
