Cabin Disinfection at Turin Caselle (LIMF)

How does airside access work at Turin Caselle?

The General Aviation Terminal sits on a dedicated apron managed by SAGAT, which provides central follow-me, refuelling and apron coordination. Four handling agents operate inside the terminal; we hold standing airside passes and work with whichever handler you select. Once your aircraft is on stand and the GPU is connected, we meet your crew at the steps, sign the tech log if required, and begin the cabin disinfection while the handler completes fuel uplift or catering.

If the aircraft is inside a hangar—common in winter or for longer layovers—we coordinate directly with the handler's ground crew. Hangar access is faster for odour-removal work because we can ventilate the cabin without apron time pressure. Tower operates around the clock and runway 36 is preferential, so arrivals and departures flow predictably; that consistency helps us stage equipment and disinfectant carts without last-minute ramp moves.

We carry our own lighting and extension leads. If you are AOG or need the cabin ready before a morning slot, we can start as soon as the aircraft is electrically safe and the handler confirms apron clearance.

What changes at Turin Caselle?

Turin Caselle sits at 989 feet elevation, sixteen kilometres north of the city centre. The single runway—18/36, 3,300 metres—handles everything from light jets to ACJ and BBJ without MTOW restrictions. The airport is slot-coordinated, so if you are inbound for a disinfection turnaround, the handler will have requested your arrival and departure slots in advance; we schedule around those times.

The General Aviation Terminal spans three levels and 4,700 square metres; it was built for the 2006 Winter Olympics and remains the busiest GA gateway in Piedmont. SAGAT Handling, Aviapartner, Argos VIP Private Handling and Esair Handling all operate from the terminal, and each has slightly different ramp procedures. We adapt: some prefer us to call operations thirty minutes out, others want a WhatsApp photo when we arrive airside. The four-handler model means competition keeps turnaround times tight, which works in your favour if you need cabin disinfection and a quick departure.

Seasonally, winter fog can delay morning slots, and summer thunderstorms over the Alps occasionally push arrivals into stacks. Neither affects the disinfection itself, but if your slot slides we stay flexible and begin as soon as you are on the ground.

What does the disinfection include?

Every high-touch surface: seats, armrests, tables, latches, switches, galley counters, lavatory handles, door handles, seatbelt buckles. We treat air vents and gaspers because they collect skin oils and dust. If the aircraft has a smoker's residue or pet odour, we add a neutralising agent to the final wipe-down and fog the cabin air path.

The disinfectants are aviation-approved—compatible with Alcantara, leather, veneers and no-touch avionics. We do not spray flight-deck panels or static ports. If the OEM cabin materials include untreated fabric or open-grain wood, we test a hidden patch first, though in fifteen years we have never damaged a surface.

You receive a certificate of treatment with the aircraft registration, date, time and the disinfectant batch number. Some charter clients require it for their own health-and-safety file; others want it in the tech log. We email a PDF within an hour of completion and leave a printed copy with the handler if you prefer.

How long does cabin disinfection take at Turin Caselle?

One hour for a light or super-midsize jet with a straightforward cabin—six to eight seats, single lavatory, no heavy soiling. Two hours for an ultra-long-range aircraft with multiple zones, a full galley and two lavatories, or if we are treating smoke odour. Odour neutralisation adds fifteen to thirty minutes because the fogger needs to circulate and then we ventilate the cabin.

If you are turning around between legs, we start as soon as the previous passengers disembark and the handler gives us apron clearance. The work happens in parallel with refuelling and catering, so the disinfection rarely extends your slot. If the aircraft is staying overnight, we can begin later in the evening when apron traffic thins, or early morning before your departure slot.

AOG disinfection—when an aircraft has been grounded and the cabin has developed a stale or fuel smell—sometimes takes longer because we open panels to treat the air-conditioning ducts. We will tell you the honest duration when we see the aircraft; no surprises at invoicing time.

What do handlers expect from a third-party cleaning crew?

Proof of insurance, a copy of our airside-pass register, and a mobile number they can call if the apron sequence changes. At Turin Caselle the four handlers have slightly different sign-in procedures, but all want to know we are on site before we approach the aircraft. We send a text or email when we clear the terminal security checkpoint, and again when we finish so they can update the tech log.

Handlers expect us to leave the cabin as we found it—no disinfectant pooling in seat tracks, no wipes left in the galley bin, no extension cords trailing across the apron. We carry our own waste bags and dispose of them airside or in the terminal's hazmat bin, depending on the handler's preference. If we move the aircraft stairs or a GPU cart to reach a panel, we return it to the exact spot.

They also expect us not to delay pushback. If a slot is tight and the cabin disinfection is running over, we tell the handler immediately so they can request a five-minute extension from the tower. That communication—early and specific—is what keeps us welcome on the ramp.

When should you schedule cabin disinfection?

After every charter, especially if the passengers were children or if food was served on a long leg. After any medical or repatriation flight. After a transatlantic or Middle East leg when the cabin has been closed for eight or ten hours and the air starts to smell stale. Any time a smoker has been on board, even if they did not light up—skin and clothing leave residue on the seats.

Some fleet operators build disinfection into the schedule every fifty or one hundred flight hours, rotating it with a deep interior detail. Others call us on demand when a client complains about odour or when the cabin crew reports a spill that the handler's line cleaners could not remove. Both models work; the on-demand approach costs less over a year, but the scheduled model means you never board a passenger into a cabin that smells of the previous leg.

If you are inbound to Turin Caselle with a tight turnaround and you want the cabin disinfected, tell your handler when you file the slot request. They will coordinate with us, and we will have the disinfectant and equipment staged before you land.