Are Private Jet Air Filters Effective Against Coronavirus ?

COVID-19 Pandemic Background

Since December 2019 an outbreak of a new type of coronavirus was identified in the province of Hubei, China. Since that time the evolution of the outbreak was very rapid reaching out to the most of the countries worldwide. Consequently the outbreak was declared by the World a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on the 30th of January and further characterized as a pandemic on 11th of March. Since mid of Lombardy, in the north of Italy. Afterwards a rapid development was seen which affected all the European Member States. Since then, the spread of the virus has slowed but some areas are facing a second wave. The business aviation industry has had to adapt. 

Private jet Air Filters Are Effective against the COVID-19 Coronavirus 

Menkor Aviation customer are often requesting about the circulation of the air inside an airplane and how the Coronavirus could be spread. Menkor Aviation decided to answer that question.

Engineers have teamed up with scientists to develop and validate the microbial removal efficiency of aircraft cabin air filters, following standard practices used in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. Today all private jets are equipped with HEPA filters, high efficiency air filters that capture the majority of particles and droplets in suspension. According to studies by NASA and the University of Minnesota, HEPA filters capture 99.99% of particles smaller than 0.5 micrometers.

Typically viruses are about 0.01 to 0.2 micrometers in size, although they can clump together or attach to larger particles. Scientists have determined the size of each virus, including the COVID-19 coronavirus:

COVID-19 is therefore filtered by HEPA filters on private jets. This is the reason why flight crews never turn off the air recirculation system within the cabins.
To verify the effectiveness of these filters, manufacturers typically use independent laboratories. It has been measured that 99.9% of bacteria are eliminated by HEPA filters when recirculating air from a closed cabin. These filters capture more than 99% of COVID-19 coronavirus-type particles and droplets in a single pass.

Do Air Filters need an Anti-Microbial Treatment ?

We know that most microbes die within minutes in the air. Once capture by the filter, the survival rate of microorganisms in the aircraft environment is very low. Most bacteria need high humidity and a source of nutrition to survive. Conditions generally encountered in the aircraft air recirculation system are 10-15% relative humidity and a lack of a source of nutrition. Thus, the COVID-19 coronavirus has very little chance of surviving once captured in a HEPA-type air filter. This is the reason why these air filters do not need antimicrobial treatment.

Travel Serenely by Private Jet

In addition to air filters, private jet operators have adopted new health and safety measures in order to transport passengers safely. The private jet is more than ever the safest solution to travel. Contact us for more information or to book a flight.