GUEST COLUMN: New COVID-19 Measures at Tucson International Airport – Danette Bewley President and CEO, Tucson Airport Authority

Dear Traveler,

I hope this newsletter finds you and your family in good health.

The team at the Tucson Airport Authority continues to work diligently to provide our customers with an airport experience that restores confidence that travel through the airport is safe.  At the outset of the pandemic, we invested resources to purchase sanitization supplies and disinfectant equipment. In addition, we made modifications to passenger moving systems (installed UV light technology) to sterilize the handrails (coming soon will be toe kick buttons on the elevators).  These efforts were undertaken to ensure each person has a safe and comfortable journey through Tucson International Airport (TUS). Although recovery from the impacts of the pandemic will take some time, we appreciate all the passengers who continue to use our local airport for their air travel needs.

As a reminder, some of the TUS Cares measures and initiatives include:

• Handrails on escalators and moving walkways are sterilized by ultraviolet germicidal irradiation using UV-C light, which is installed underneath the rails as they cycle.
• Transparent acrylic shields have been installed at transaction counters (airline check-in, gate podium and baggage claim counters, rental cars and shops and restaurants).
• Signage and seat and floor markers that indicate safe physical distancing have been installed in line queues (airline counters, security checkpoints, gate waiting areas, baggage claim carousels and the rental car center).
• Face coverings are required to be worn by everyone who enters the terminal complex to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19 (for those who may not have a mask, a mask can be obtained through the TAA or your airline.
• Restrooms are monitored and cleaned multiple times throughout the day. All restrooms are disinfected overnight using specialized sanitation machines. (Fixtures – faucets, soap and paper towel dispensers, toilets – use touchless activation.) Extra soap, the preferred method for washing hands, is maintained in restrooms, especially near food service areas.
• Gate waiting areas are cleaned multiple times throughout the day with disinfectants and sanitized overnight.
• Deep cleaning of surfaces is regularly performed throughout the terminal.
• Instant hand sanitizer dispensers are located throughout the terminal.
• “High-touch” areas (self-service kiosks, handrails, armrests, etc.) are cleaned multiple times throughout the day using EPA-approved disinfectants designed to kill bacteria/viruses within 5 minutes of application.
• Traditional drinking fountains have been taken out of service, and dispensers with disposable paper cups have been installed next to water bottle filling stations on the concourses.
• Airport Parking Shuttles are using new boarding and exiting procedures, and limiting capacity to reduce potential for contact.

To show our community what the new experience through TUS looks like, we have produced a handful of videos to share with you. Additionally, we continue to share daily updates on our TUS Travel Information page on the flytucson.com website.

As always, if your travel plans are for next week, next month or later, we look forward to seeing you and welcoming you back to TUS. In the meantime, stay safe and well.

Sincerely,

Danette Bewley, A.A.E.
President/CEO
Tucson Airport Authority