Southwest Airlines Changing What They Clean Before Every Flight

Southwest Airlines has made an announcement that may make you rethink flying with them, as positive cases of COVID-19 continue to be high across the country.

According to WZZM, the airline made an announcement that as of August 1st, they will no longer be disinfecting seatbelts or armrests in between flights.  They say they will continue to clean the bathrooms and tray tables between flights but the other two areas will now only get cleaned at night when they deep clean each plane used during the day.

WZZM says that as flights increase, Southwest Airlines continue to keep the middle seat open at least until the end of October, but are looking for ways to speed up the turn-around process.

It should be known that each night, every plane that was used during the day does go through a six to seven-hour deep clean where they clean everything from "nose to tail". According to the WZZM story,

During overnight cleaning, the airline said it deep cleans each plane from nose to trail including seat belt buckles, tray tables, air vents, arm rests, galleys, bathrooms and more.

They also do a monthly electrostatic spraying which is supposed to create a 30-day "anti-microbial coating" which is supposed to kill viruses on contact. WZZM says the airline will also still hand out sanitizing wipes to customers wanting them as they board.

Southwest operates flights to Denver, Baltimore, St. Louis, Pheonix, and Chicago Midway daily from Gerald R Ford International Airport.