Aura Air has launched a campaign to raise awareness among travel agents and tour companies of those coach operators that it says are operating beyond government guidelines for onboard passenger safety, particularly regarding proactively reducing and monitoring potential contagion by airborne viruses.
Christened Going the Extra Mile, the campaign has two certification elements to enable operators to be part of it. One is the offer of ‘real time’ air purification. That is handled by a system that uses what Aura Air describes as “intelligent algorithms” to switch itself on if it detects poor or dangerous air quality. The compact unit can be mounted on the coach ceiling or a shelf and it uses an existing 24v DC power supply.
The second level of certification provides for onboard air quality to be monitored in real time. Aura Air says that is a first for the industry. Seven air quality parameters are captured every 10 seconds, including levels of CO2, volatile organic compounds and PM2.5/PM10 (particulate sizes known to carry COVID-19).
Aura Air stores a rolling 12 months of that data, which it says may come in useful should it be required to support any future government requirements on passenger health, or in a worst case, a litigation scenario. Passengers can access the real-time air quality index for the vehicle that they are travelling on via a QR code.
Aura Air observes that a recent scientific update on COVID-19 notes that the smallest droplets and aerosol particles can remain suspended in the air for “minutes to hours,” which it says highlights the need for air purification and ventilation. Aura Air adds that while many filtering and ventilation systems have been improved, there has thus far “not been any measurable air quality feedback to passengers or staff.”
Adds Aura Air UK Managing Director Paul Kasler: “With the increased awareness of the importance of air quality in enclosed spaces, this monitoring capability gives coach operators a clear competitive edge, not just now but in the post-COVID-19 era.”
Aura Air is providing a 10% discount to coach operators who wish to test the technology in July and August. It is offering two units for under £1,000. The product has already been rolled out by coach businesses across England, Scotland and Wales.
