For years, Toronto Pearson International Airport has led the way in providing an exceptional passenger experience, consistently ranking among the top large North American airports. However, in early 2020, the global COVID-19 pandemic reshaped air travel, introducing unprecedented health and safety concerns.
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), the operator of Toronto Pearson, recognized the urgent need to enhance safety protocols while maintaining efficiency and service excellence. To uphold their commitment to passenger well-being, they sought out innovative solutions to sanitize high-touch surfaces, including luggage carts used by millions of travelers.
As part of their broader Healthy Airport initiative, GTAA turned to Bluewater for an effective and scalable sanitization solution. At the time, Bluewater had recently launched the Soteria UVC Cart Sanitizing System, a cutting-edge sterilization unit equipped with medical-grade UVC bulbs capable of eliminating over 99.9% of harmful bacteria and viruses, including COVID-19.
The Soteria system was the ideal choice for Toronto Pearson, as it could be expanded to meet the airport’s high-volume demands. Given that Toronto Pearson served more than 50 million passengers in 2019, the solution needed to be both thorough and efficient.
Our Bluewater team designed and delivered two customized Soteria units for the airport’s bagging areas. Key features included:
- Extended Length: The units were built extra-long to accommodate up to 20 luggage carts at a time, streamlining the sanitization process.
- Automated UVC Cleaning: Once fed into the system, the carts passed through a rigorous UVC sanitization cycle, emerging as clean and safe for traveler use.
- Intuitive Control System: Our team developed a specialized control panel for seamless operation by airport staff.
- Branded Design: Each unit was vinyl-wrapped and customized to align with Toronto Pearson’s branding and messaging, ensuring consistency with the airport’s visual identity.
These Soteria luggage cart sanitization units became an integral component of GTAA’s five-point Healthy Airport commitment, which also included:
- Enhanced cleaning and hygiene protocols
- Clear communication strategies
- Innovative technology solutions, such as touchless check-in and autonomous floor cleaners
- Facility monitoring to manage congestion
- Air quality monitoring systems
The implementation of Soteria played a pivotal role in helping Toronto Pearson earn the prestigious “Best Hygiene Measures by Region” award in North America from Airports Council International (ACI).
“This new accolade is largely the result of Pearson’s Healthy Airport initiative,” Toronto Pearson stated in a press release. “A multi-layered approach to creating a safe and healthy airport experience through enhanced cleaning, innovative solutions like UVC light disinfection, and a commitment to advancing scientific knowledge.”
At Bluewater, we were honored to contribute to this critical initiative with our Soteria UVC sterilization technology. By integrating advanced sanitization solutions into the airport’s daily operations, Toronto Pearson set a new standard for passenger safety in the aviation industry.
To learn more about Soteria and UVC cleaning technology, contact us today and explore how Bluewater’s innovative solutions can support your organization’s commitment to health and safety.
