Cabin Disinfection at Geneva (LSGG)

What changes at Geneva?

Geneva sits at 1411 feet elevation with a single 3900-metre runway, 4 kilometres from the city centre. The airport is slot-coordinated; all business aviation movements require a mandatory PPR requested through your handling agent—aircraft cannot request slots directly from Slot Coordination Switzerland. Business aviation FBOs (Signature Aviation at Terminal C3, Chemin des Papillons 18; Jet Aviation Geneva at their own terminal, 18 Chemin des Papillons; Dassault Aviation Business Services at Terminal C3, Chemin des Papillons 20) operate 06:00 to 22:00 local, with call-out on request outside those hours.

Take-offs are permitted 06:00 to midnight, but Geneva restricts departures after 22:00—only three intercontinental flights may receive a late slot, and since January 2025 late take-offs carry penalties. This compresses evening turnarounds before 22:00, so if you want cabin disinfection on a late-afternoon arrival with an evening departure, the window is tight. Evening detailing slots must be arranged in advance because FBO staff work on call-out after 22:00. Airside access for contractors goes through the FBO; customs, immigration and 24-hour security surveillance are on site at the business aviation terminal.

How is the disinfection documented?

Every cabin disinfection at Geneva closes with a certificate of treatment, issued on Terso letterhead and countersigned by the technician who performed the work. The certificate lists the aircraft registration, date, time, products used (batch numbers if requested), surfaces treated and odour-neutralisation steps. This document goes into your tech log or hygiene file and satisfies due-diligence requirements when a passenger, charter broker or medical transport coordinator asks for proof of sanitisation.

We also prepare a photo report—before and after images of the cabin, galley and lavatory—uploaded to a shared folder or sent by email within two hours of the work. The combination of certificate and photos is especially valued by charter operators who market hygiene as part of the product and by flight departments managing medical repatriations or high-profile passengers. If you need the certificate translated or notarised for a specific jurisdiction, arrange that at the time of booking; we work with a translator in Geneva for French, German and Italian versions.

What does the disinfection cover inside the cabin?

We treat every surface a hand or face might touch: seat cushions, armrests, headrests, lumbar controls, recline latches, table surfaces and edges, seatbelt buckles, window shades, sidewall panels around the seats, control panels and light switches. In the galley we disinfect worktops, drawer handles, the coffee maker, the microwave door and buttons, the refrigerator handle and the waste-bin lid. The lavatory receives the same attention—tap handles, flush button, door latch, mirror frame, soap dispenser, towel holder and the toilet seat.

Air vents and gaspers are wiped down because they sit in the breathing zone and collect skin oils and cosmetic residues. We apply aviation-approved disinfectants—quaternary ammonium compounds or hydrogen-peroxide formulations that meet EN 14476 or equivalent virucidal standards—and allow the dwell time specified by the manufacturer, usually two to five minutes. Odour neutralisation uses an enzyme spray or an ozone generator if the cabin has absorbed smoke, pet or food smells; ozone treatment requires the cabin to be unoccupied for thirty minutes while the gas dissipates.

When should I schedule disinfection at LSGG?

The cleanest slot is between legs: the aircraft lands, the passengers disembark at Terminal C3, and we start disinfection while the pilots file the next flight plan and the handler refuels. One to two hours is enough for a midsize or large-cabin jet, so if you have a two-hour turnaround the work fits without delaying departure. For tighter turnarounds—sixty to ninety minutes—tell us when you file the PPR; we can pre-position at the FBO and begin as soon as the door opens, but you sacrifice some of the dwell time and the odour-neutralisation step may be shortened.

Overnight disinfection works well at Geneva because customs, immigration and security are on site around the clock, though FBO staff are on call-out after 22:00 so you must arrange access in advance. If your aircraft arrives late evening and departs early morning, we can disinfect overnight and leave the certificate in the cockpit or with the handler. Recurring disinfection—every flight in a charter programme or every week for a based aircraft—is scheduled through a standing work order with your handler; we invoice monthly and the certificate library builds in your records.

How does airside access work for contractors at Geneva?

Airside access at Geneva goes through the FBO. We hold valid airside passes for LSGG and check in at the business aviation terminal (Terminal C3) before crossing to the south apron or the stand where your aircraft is parked. The FBO coordinates with airport security and with the handler to confirm that the aircraft is ready for cabin work—GPU connected, door open, no refuelling in progress—and escorts us if required. Because Geneva is slot-coordinated and PPR-mandatory, the handler already knows the aircraft registration and the scheduled disinfection, so there are no surprises on the ramp.

If you operate through Signature, Jet Aviation or Dassault Aviation Business Services, tell your handler at the time of the PPR that cabin disinfection is required; the handler will notify us and arrange the stand and the access window. For work outside 06:00 to 22:00, the FBO must call out staff, so give at least four hours' notice. The handler invoices the FBO fee separately; our disinfection invoice covers labour, materials, the certificate and the photo report.

Does disinfection replace a full cabin detail at Geneva?

No. Cabin disinfection is a hygiene intervention, not a cleaning service. We treat high-touch surfaces with a disinfectant and neutralise odours, but we do not vacuum carpets, polish wood, condition leather or clean windows. If the cabin is visibly soiled—crumbs on the seats, spills on the galley worktop, fingerprints on the windows—you need a cabin cleaning or a full interior detail before or instead of disinfection. Many operators at Geneva combine the two: a cabin cleaning after every flight and a disinfection once a week, or a disinfection after every charter leg and a deep detail every fifty hours.

Disinfection takes one to two hours; a cabin cleaning takes two to four hours; a full interior detail takes six to twelve hours depending on aircraft size and condition. If you are unsure which service fits your turnaround, describe the cabin condition and the time available when you request the PPR, and we will recommend the right scope. The certificate of treatment is issued only for disinfection work, not for routine cleaning.