Air Serv takes real time data from its airline customers to establish when planes will land, at which gate, and for how long they will be grounded. It can then co-ordinate that information with the availability of cleaning crews and cleaning equipment. GPS-enabled devices in the equipment helps Air Serv track and monitor the cleaning process, while manual audits keep track of thorough the cleaning teams are and what could be improved.

Other companies have similar systems; Huntleigh USA has a system called E-Clean, which tracks the performance of every member of the cabin cleaning team and gives clients real-time access to cleaning times and the overall quality of the work performed.

Exactly how the aeroplane is cleaned depends on the type of jet, whether it’s a long or short-haul flight, the turnaround time on the ground, the location, and the last time the aircraft received a complete clean. Arrival times, weather conditions and peak periods also play a role, says Taylor. Domestic flights, for example, typically return to the skies fairly quickly – so there’s less time to clean these planes than those used for international flights.

From turn clean to deep clean



Under those circumstances the plane receives a basic “turn clean”. With so little time for cleaning, the team will focus on high priority areas – that means First and Business class cabins rather than economy. Galley areas also get attention, and so do the lavatories. The rest of the plane gets little more than a quick once over – which usually means vacuuming the floor, picking up rubbish and, ideally, wiping the folding tables with an anti-bacterial solution. Don’t expect the economy seats themselves to receive much attention.

When an aircraft is to be parked at an airport overnight, there’s an opportunity for a more thorough clean – a Remain Overnight (RON) clean. Finally, there’s what’s known as a deep clean. That’s when the cabin gets really scrubbed and soaped. It’s typically done on a rotational schedule. “Each airline has specific cleaning procedures and specifications for each cleaning type with the extent of cleaning dependent on the amount of time available,” says Taylor.