Cabin Disinfection at Munich (EDDM)

Why disinfect a cabin at all?

Charter aircraft move between passengers every few days, sometimes every few hours, and high-touch surfaces accumulate biological load quickly. Armrests, table latches, galley handles and lavatory door switches are touched dozens of times per sector; air vents and gaspers circulate particles into the cabin air path. A visual clean removes debris, but it does not address microbial contamination or the odours that follow illness, smoke or long-haul fatigue.

Cabin disinfection uses aviation-approved biocides to reduce bacterial and viral load on every surface a hand or face might meet. We treat seats, tables, switches, door handles, galley counters and lavatory fixtures, then address the air vents and gaspers where particles settle. Odour neutralisation follows, targeting smoke residue, biological smells or the stale air that lingers after a repatriation or medical flight. You receive a certificate of treatment for your records, which satisfies most charter-contract hygiene clauses and reassures the next passenger that the cabin has been properly reset.

What changes at Munich?

Munich sits at 1487 feet, with two parallel runways each 4000 metres long, and the General Aviation Terminal on the eastern side of the airport campus, 28.5 kilometres from central Munich. The GAT opens at 06:00 and closes at 22:00 local, with office hours from 05:30; night restrictions run 22:00 to 06:00, allowing only bonus-list aircraft between 22:00 and midnight and again from 05:00, and almost nothing in the core night from midnight to 05:00 except mail and survey flights. Most business jets therefore arrive before 22:00 and sit on the ramp or in a hangar overnight, which creates a natural window for cabin disinfection without pressure on the next departure slot.

Five handling agents work at the GAT: ExecuJet Europe, Lufthansa Technik, MAS Munich Aviation Service, Signature and AHS München. ExecuJet lists cleaning among its own services, so the handler may ask whether you want their crew or a third-party specialist; we coordinate with whichever agent you choose. The GAT has no public transport access—short-term parking and the P35 car park are adjacent—so we bring disinfection equipment and supplies by road to the terminal. Munich is slot-coordinated, which means any delay in treatment can cascade into the next sector; we confirm arrival time and stand location the day before to keep the turnaround on schedule.

How long does cabin disinfection take at Munich?

One to two hours, depending on cabin size and configuration. A six-seat light jet takes an hour; a fourteen-seat super-midsize or a VIP airliner with multiple lavatories and a galley complex takes closer to two. We start as soon as the aircraft is on chocks and the handler has released the cabin, so the clock runs in parallel with any exterior wash, tyre change or line maintenance. If you have a two-hour turnaround, disinfection and a dry wash can both finish before catering and fuelling close the door.

The GAT closes at 22:00, and work outside 06:00 to 22:00 is on request only. If you land after 21:00 and the aircraft will sit overnight, we schedule disinfection for early morning—typically 06:30 or 07:00—so the cabin is ready for a 09:00 or 10:00 departure without cutting into the handler's pre-flight checks. Hangar rental can be ordered up to three hours before arrival for short-term parking, and we can work inside the hangar if the aircraft is cold-soaked or if you want the cabin sealed overnight after treatment.

What exactly gets treated during cabin disinfection?

Every surface a hand, face or breath touches. We start with seats: leather or fabric faces, armrests, headrests, recline buttons and table latches. Then galley counters, cabinet handles, drawer pulls and the coffee-maker fascia. Lavatory door handles, tap levers, flush buttons, mirror surrounds and the toilet seat. Cockpit switches, throttle quadrant, yoke grips and door latches if the crew requests it. Finally, air vents and gaspers, where dust and biological particles settle and re-enter the cabin air path every time the ECS runs.

We apply aviation-approved disinfectant by microfibre cloth or electrostatic spray, depending on the material; leather and Alcantara receive a gentler formula than hard plastics or metal. Dwell time is two to five minutes, then we wipe residue and check for streaks. Odour neutralisation follows: we use an enzymatic spray for biological smells—vomit, sweat, pet accidents—and an oxidising agent for smoke or fuel odour. The cabin is left dry, odour-free and ready for the next passenger, with a certificate of treatment dated and signed for your tech log or charter file.

When should you schedule disinfection at Munich?

After every charter leg if the contract requires it, after any medical or repatriation flight, after a passenger illness, or before a long-haul positioning when the cabin has been closed for days. Some operators disinfect once a week as part of a fleet hygiene programme; others call us only when an odour appears or a passenger complains. The treatment is identical either way.

Timing depends on your next sector. If you have a same-day turnaround, we start as soon as the handler releases the cabin and finish before catering boards. If the aircraft will sit overnight because of Munich's night restrictions, we schedule disinfection for early morning so the cabin is fresh for a mid-morning departure. If you are positioning empty to another European city, we can work during fuelling and have the aircraft ready in ninety minutes. The GAT's 22:00 close and the night curfew mean most disinfection happens either in the morning wave—06:30 to 10:00—or the afternoon wave—14:00 to 18:00—when the ramp is busy but stands turn over quickly.

What does the handler expect from a third-party disinfection crew?

Airside passes, liability insurance, and a clear understanding of who owns which task. The five handling agents at Munich's GAT are used to third-party specialists—detailers, avionics techs, upholstery repairers—but they expect you to arrive on time, check in at the handler's desk, and wait for cabin release before you open a door. We carry our own airside passes and insurance, and we confirm stand location and GPU availability the day before so there is no confusion on the ramp.

The handler will ask whether disinfection is part of a larger package—exterior wash, interior vacuum, galley restock—so they know how long the aircraft will be occupied and whether they need to delay fuelling or catering. We tell them the cabin will be closed for one to two hours and that we will call when the treatment is finished and the door can be reopened. If the aircraft is in a hangar, we coordinate with the handler's ramp supervisor to ensure the hangar door is open and lighting is on before we arrive. The handler does not escort us once we are on stand—we work independently—but they expect a call if we find any airworthiness issue, such as a loose panel or a lavatory leak that needs a tech-log entry.