FAA's new cleaning methods at air traffic towers aim to curb flight delays

A new cleaning regimen is cutting back on flight delays as the skies grow busier this summer. But the new procedures aren't for planes or even airport terminals — they're for air traffic control towers. The cleaning methods are being instituted in Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control towers and facilities around the country, federal officials tell CNN. The aim is to reduce the need for these behind-the-scenes employees who route aircraft to have to clear out after a colleague tests positive for coronavirus.<br/>Covid cases among air traffic employees can ground flights, arrivals and departures to a halt. Employees at the busy New York Air Route Traffic Control Center have tested positive on more than two dozen occasions. The new procedures have helped avoid more than 165 such "ATC zero" incidents, the FAA says. Increased access to Covid vaccines has likely also reduced the number of controllers falling ill. Earlier in the pandemic, the FAA frequently closed facilities once it learned of a coronavirus case. A cleaning contractor would come in to treat the facility, and controllers working at the time were required to leave to avoid the odors of the cleaning chemicals. The new daily cleanings are scheduled for the lowest-traffic periods, and they use non-toxic chemicals approved by the EPA. That allows controllers to continue working nearby. FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said the change "has really kept the supply chains running and it's allowed the aviation system to continue to function effectively."<br/>