Cabin Disinfection at Lyon-Saint-Exupéry (LFLL)
Surface-by-surface disinfection, air-path treatment, and documented turnaround at Lyon's international gateway.
Cabin Disinfection at Lyon-Saint-Exupéry is built for chief pilots and charter operators who need a certified clean cabin between legs—particularly after medical repatriations, long-haul sectors, or back-to-back charters where passengers expect a factory-fresh environment. We treat every high-touch surface, the galley, the lavatory, air vents, and gaspers with aviation-approved disinfectants, neutralise odours at source, and hand you a certificate of treatment before you file the next flight plan. The work takes one to two hours depending on cabin configuration, and we coordinate directly with the handling agent on the apron to fit the slot without pushing your departure.
17R/35L · 4000 m, 17L/35R · 2670 m
AIP and airport data821 ft
Airport open 24h/24; slot-facilitation window 06:00-22:59 local; business aviation FBO 'at your service 24/7'
20 km
Lyon city centre (fr.wikipedia says 25 km east)What changes at Lyon-Saint-Exupéry?
Lyon sits at 821 feet elevation, twenty kilometres east of the city centre, with two parallel runways—4,000 metres and 2,670 metres—that handle everything from regional turboprops to ACJ and BBJ operations. The airport operates around the clock, though a slot-facilitation window runs from 06:00 to 22:59 local for all IFR traffic under the COHOR schedule. Business aviation enjoys 24/7 FBO support, so a late arrival for cabin disinfection is entirely workable if you notify the handler in advance.
Lyon-Bron, the dedicated business-aviation field under the same operator, handles hangaring and long-term storage; Saint-Exupéry is the hub for quick turnarounds, scheduled positioning, and international departures. Handling agents present at the airport will escort our crew airside and provide GPU if the APU is off-limits during treatment. The temperate climate means fewer extremes than Alpine airports nearby, but spring and autumn dampness can trap odours in carpets and soft furnishings—one reason operators request disinfection after a wet-season charter or a medical flight with biological exposure.
Why does cabin disinfection matter between charter legs?
Passengers notice two things the moment they board: smell and visible cleanliness. A rinseless exterior wash addresses the second; cabin disinfection addresses both. High-touch surfaces—seat controls, armrests, table latches, galley handles, lavatory door locks—accumulate oils, bacteria, and residues that a dry-wipe misses. Aviation-approved disinfectants break down organic matter without damaging OEM cabin materials, and the treatment extends to air vents and gaspers, which harbour dust and microbial film.
Odour neutralisation is not masking; we eliminate the source—smoke particles embedded in soft goods, galley waste residue, or biological odours from medical flights. Charter operators flying back-to-back sectors appreciate that passengers board to a neutral cabin rather than the ghost of the previous trip. The certificate of treatment goes into the tech log or your records, useful for insurance audits, health-authority queries, or simply demonstrating due diligence to the principal.
What does the handler expect when we arrive for disinfection?
Handlers at Lyon-Saint-Exupéry are accustomed to third-party service crews, but clear communication prevents apron delays. Notify the FBO or handling agent at least two hours before block time with the registration, stand assignment, and the fact that a specialist disinfection team will board. Request GPU if you plan to shut down the APU—most treatments run with cabin power on for lighting and airflow, but cold-soaked aircraft in winter need external power to avoid draining the battery.
We bring our own consumables, including disinfectants, microfibre cloths, and odour-neutralising equipment, so no bonded stores are required. The handler will escort us airside and confirm the aircraft is released for service; if you are AOG or awaiting a part, let us know so we can sequence the disinfection after the engineer signs off. Handlers appreciate a tight turnaround window—one to two hours—because it keeps the stand free for the next movement. If you have a PPR slot immediately after, we start the moment the last passenger deplanes and the cabin is clear.
How does disinfection fit into a tight turnaround at Lyon?
A typical ultra-long-range jet with twelve to sixteen seats takes ninety minutes for full cabin disinfection, including air-path treatment and odour neutralisation. Smaller super-midsize cabins with eight seats can be turned in an hour if the interior is in good order. We coordinate with the flight crew and handler to begin as soon as catering is offloaded and the cabin is empty; if the aircraft is hot-fuelled, we wait until the bowser clears and the apron is safe.
For back-to-back charters, disinfection runs in parallel with exterior inspection and dry wash if you book both services. The critical path is always the cabin: disinfectant contact time cannot be rushed without compromising efficacy. If your slot is tight, we prioritise high-touch surfaces and air vents first, then complete odour treatment while the crew files the flight plan. The certificate is ready before you board passengers, and we leave no residue on screens, leather, or brightwork.
Which disinfectants are safe for business-jet interiors?
We use only aviation-approved disinfectants that meet material-compatibility standards for OEM cabin furnishings—leather, Alcantara, wood veneer, composite panels, and no-touch avionics surfaces. The active agents are quaternary ammonium compounds or hydrogen-peroxide formulations, depending on the surface and the level of contamination. These break down bacteria, viruses, and fungi without leaving a film or causing discolouration.
Lavatory and galley areas receive a separate food-safe disinfectant that complies with European health regulations. Air vents and gaspers are treated with a fine-mist application that reaches into the ductwork without saturating filters. Odour neutralisation uses enzymatic sprays that digest organic molecules rather than covering them with fragrance. Every product is tested on a hidden surface before general application, and we avoid anything that voids OEM warranties or triggers corrosion on aluminium or magnesium components near the cabin shell.
What documentation do we receive after disinfection?
You receive a certificate of treatment on Terso letterhead, listing the aircraft registration, date, time, surfaces treated, disinfectants used (by product name and batch number), and the technician's signature. This document is written for tech-log insertion or for presentation to health authorities, insurance underwriters, or the principal's medical adviser. A photo report is available on request, showing before-and-after images of high-touch areas and confirming that no damage occurred during treatment.
If the flight is a medical repatriation or involves biological exposure, we note the additional precautions taken—disposal of single-use materials, sealed waste bags handed to the handler, and extended contact time for high-risk surfaces. The certificate is emailed within thirty minutes of service completion, so you have it before the next departure. Some operators file a copy with their SMS or quality-management system; others simply keep it in the aircraft folder for audit trail.
Questions operators ask about Cabin Disinfection at Lyon-Saint-Exupéry
How long does cabin disinfection take at Lyon-Saint-Exupéry?
One to two hours, depending on cabin size and configuration. A super-midsize cabin with eight seats typically requires sixty to seventy-five minutes. An ultra-long-range interior with fourteen to sixteen seats, a full galley, and two lavatories takes ninety minutes to two hours. We confirm the duration when you provide the aircraft type and any special requests, such as deep odour treatment or post-medical-flight decontamination.
Can you disinfect while the aircraft is being refuelled?
No—we wait until the bowser clears and the apron is safe. Disinfectants are water-based and non-flammable, but safety protocols at Lyon-Saint-Exupéry prohibit non-essential personnel near the aircraft during hot refuelling. We coordinate with the handler to begin immediately after the fuel truck departs, so the delay is typically five to ten minutes. If you are on a tight slot, we can prep materials and crew while fuelling is underway.
Which surfaces are included in the standard disinfection?
All seats, tables, armrests, latches, switches, galley, lavatory, door handles, air vents, and gaspers. High-touch areas receive priority: seat controls, tray tables, armrest leather, overhead-panel switches, galley counters, refrigerator handles, lavatory taps, flush buttons, door latches, and cockpit door handle on the cabin side. Air vents and gaspers are mist-treated to reach into the ductwork. Carpets and soft furnishings receive odour-neutralising spray if requested.
Do you provide a certificate after treatment?
Yes—a signed certificate listing surfaces, products, and batch numbers, ready within thirty minutes. The certificate is written for tech-log insertion or health-authority presentation. It includes the aircraft registration, date, time, disinfectants used (by product name and batch number), surfaces treated, and the technician's signature. A photo report is available on request. The document is emailed before your next departure and can be filed with your SMS or quality records.
Can disinfection remove smoke odour from a charter flight?
Yes—we use enzymatic odour neutralisers that digest smoke particles at the molecular level. Smoke odour embeds in carpets, seat fabric, and cabin linings. We apply an enzymatic spray that breaks down the organic compounds rather than masking them with fragrance. Air vents and gaspers are treated separately to eliminate residue in the ventilation path. Severe cases may require a second application or extended contact time, which we discuss with the crew before starting.
What if the aircraft is AOG when we arrive?
We wait until the engineer signs off and the cabin is released for service. Disinfection cannot proceed while maintenance is accessing cabin panels, avionics bays, or systems that require power cycling. We coordinate with the handler and the engineer to sequence the work—typically after the tech-log entry is closed and before the next crew boards. If the delay is significant, we adjust the start time to protect your departure slot.
Are the disinfectants safe for OEM cabin materials?
Yes—we use only aviation-approved products tested for leather, wood veneer, composites, and no-touch avionics. Every disinfectant is material-compatible with OEM furnishings: leather, Alcantara, carbon-fibre panels, wood veneer, and composite surfaces. Lavatory and galley areas receive food-safe agents that meet European health regulations. We avoid anything that voids warranties, causes discolouration, or triggers corrosion on aluminium or magnesium components near the cabin shell.
Can you disinfect the cockpit as well?
We treat the cockpit door handle on the cabin side; flight-deck interiors require crew authorisation. Standard cabin disinfection includes the cockpit door handle, galley-side panels, and any shared lavatory. If the flight crew requests disinfection of yokes, throttles, and instrument panels, we proceed only with explicit authorisation and avoid any contact with avionics screens, circuit breakers, or data ports. The captain or chief pilot must sign off before we enter the flight deck.
How soon before departure can we book disinfection at Lyon?
Two hours' notice is workable; four hours is preferred for coordination with the handler. We keep a mobile crew on call for Lyon-Saint-Exupéry, so same-day requests are feasible if the aircraft is on the apron and the handler has confirmed stand access. Four hours' notice allows us to pre-position materials, obtain airside escort, and sequence the work around your departure slot. If you are inbound and want disinfection immediately after block-in, notify us wheels-up from the previous sector.
What happens if we need disinfection outside the slot-facilitation window?
The FBO operates 24/7, so night disinfection is entirely workable with prior coordination. Lyon-Saint-Exupéry is open around the clock, and the business-aviation FBO provides 24/7 support. The COHOR slot-facilitation window (06:00–22:59 local) applies to departures, not to ground services. We arrange airside escort and GPU through the handler, and the work proceeds as normal. Late-night or early-morning disinfection simply requires advance notice so we can mobilise the crew and confirm stand assignment.