Cabin Disinfection at Pula (LDPL)

What changes at Pula in summer and why it matters for disinfection turnarounds?

Pula sits at 274 feet elevation with a single 2,946-metre runway serving traffic that is overwhelmingly seasonal. July and August concentrate the year's passenger flow: July 2024 alone handled 301,792 passengers against 509,397 for the entire year. That compression means ramp congestion, handler workload and apron delays peak sharply in high summer and drop away outside those eight weeks.

For a disinfection turnaround, the implication is lead time. In July and August, expect the handling agent to juggle multiple arrivals, limited stand availability and a full roster of fuelling, catering and ground-power tasks. A two-hour sanitisation window that would be straightforward in May or October may require tighter scheduling and earlier PPR confirmation when the apron is crowded. If your aircraft is due back airside within three hours of block-in, notify the handler and Terso at the same time so the disinfection crew can be on stand when you taxi in, not waiting for clearance.

Outside peak season, Pula becomes a quiet field. Handler capacity is ample, ramp access is faster and the same disinfection can often be completed with a shorter lead time. Winter operations are minimal, so if you plan a charter leg in December or January, confirm handler availability and Terso crew positioning well in advance; the airport remains open, but staffing thins and third-party service windows narrow.

How does airside access work for a third-party disinfection crew at Pula?

Pula does not operate dedicated FBO infrastructure for general aviation; business jets are handled by the commercial handling agents present at the airport. Terso's disinfection crew requires an airside pass and, depending on local security protocol, an escort from the handler to reach your aircraft on stand. That escort obligation means the handler must allocate a member of staff to accompany the crew from the terminal security checkpoint to the aircraft steps and, after the work is complete, back through the gate.

Coordination begins when you file your handling request. Include the disinfection requirement in your ground-service order so the handler can arrange the escort, confirm stand access and schedule the crew's arrival to match your block-in time. If the aircraft will remain on a remote stand overnight or between legs, clarify with the handler whether the stand will be accessible during the disinfection window or whether the aircraft must be towed to a different position. In summer, when multiple aircraft may share apron space, stand access can be delayed if another operator's service is under way nearby.

Terso liaises directly with the handler to confirm escort times, security-pass validity and any restrictions around simultaneous ground-service tasks. The goal is to have the disinfection crew on the apron and ready to board as soon as the cabin is clear of passengers and the aircraft is chocked, so the turnaround clock starts immediately rather than waiting for clearance.

What does the disinfection process cover inside the cabin?

The service begins at the main cabin door and works systematically aft, treating every high-touch surface and the air path with aviation-approved disinfectants that meet material-compatibility standards for business-jet interiors. Seats, tables, armrests, latches, switches, seatbelt buckles and tray hinges are wiped down. Galley counters, cabinet handles, coffee-maker panels and refrigerator seals receive the same attention. Lavatory surfaces—taps, flush buttons, door locks, vanity edges—are disinfected and any residual odour is neutralised.

Air vents, gaspers and the visible portions of the cabin air-distribution system are cleaned to remove dust and biological residue that can harbour pathogens or contribute to stale-air complaints. If smoke odour or other persistent smells are present, the crew applies a neutralising treatment rather than a masking fragrance; the aim is to eliminate the source, not cover it.

The process takes one to two hours depending on cabin configuration, the number of seats and the condition of high-touch areas. A six-seat light jet with no galley can be completed in under ninety minutes; a fourteen-seat super-midsize with full galley and aft lavatory will use the full two-hour window. At the end, you receive a certificate of treatment documenting the date, aircraft registration, disinfectant used and areas covered, which satisfies most charter-client or medevac-operator requirements for proof of sanitisation.

How does timing work between legs or during a charter turnaround?

Disinfection is recommended after every charter, any medical or long-haul flight, or on request when a client specifies sanitisation as a condition of the charter contract. The one-to-two-hour duration means the service fits comfortably into most turnaround windows, but only if the cabin is empty and other ground tasks are sequenced correctly.

If your aircraft is scheduled for refuelling, catering upload and disinfection during the same turnaround, coordinate the order with the handler. Fuelling can proceed while the disinfection crew is working inside, provided the fueller and the disinfection team communicate and the cabin door remains open for ventilation. Catering upload, however, should wait until disinfection is complete; bringing food and beverage carts into a cabin that is still being treated risks cross-contamination and wastes the sanitisation effort.

For overnight or multi-day stops, the disinfection can be scheduled at any point when the cabin is unoccupied. Some operators prefer to disinfect immediately after passenger disembarkation so the aircraft is ready for the next leg without further delay; others schedule the service the evening before departure to ensure the cabin is fresh when the crew and passengers board. Either approach works, but the latter requires confirming that the handler can provide apron access and escort outside normal operating hours if your departure is early the following morning.

What does the handler expect from you when a third-party disinfection crew is on the ramp?

The handling agent's primary concern is that every person and every piece of equipment on the apron is accounted for, escorted where required and operating within the airport's safety and security rules. When Terso's disinfection crew arrives, the handler will verify identity, check airside-pass validity and assign an escort if local protocol demands one. That escort remains with the crew until they leave the airside zone, so the handler's staff is committed for the duration of the disinfection.

You can ease the handler's workload by providing advance notice of the disinfection requirement—ideally in the same message as your PPR and fuel order—and by confirming the estimated start time as your block-in becomes firm. If the disinfection will overlap with other ground services, tell the handler which tasks can run concurrently and which must wait. For example, if the cabin must remain powered for the disinfection crew to test air vents and gaspers, confirm that GPU will stay connected; if the aircraft will be dark, the crew will work with portable lighting and the handler need not hold the GPU.

After the disinfection is finished, the crew will notify the handler that the aircraft is secure and the escort can return them to the terminal. The handler will log the service completion in the ground-service report, and Terso will provide the certificate of treatment separately. If you need the certificate emailed to a charter client or uploaded to a compliance portal immediately, specify that when you book the service so the documentation is ready before you file for your next departure.

Why include odour removal as part of cabin disinfection?

Odour and microbial contamination often share the same sources: organic residue on galley surfaces, moisture in lavatory drains, biofilm in air-vent grilles or smoke particles embedded in soft furnishings. A disinfection protocol that treats high-touch surfaces but ignores odour leaves the cabin technically clean but unpleasant for the next passengers, and charter clients interpret lingering smells as evidence of incomplete sanitisation even when the pathogen load has been eliminated.

Terso's disinfection service includes odour neutralisation as standard because the two tasks use overlapping techniques and the same cabin access. Smoke odour is neutralised with an oxidising treatment that breaks down tar and nicotine residues rather than masking them with fragrance. Food or biological odours are traced to their source—galley drains, lavatory seals, carpet edges—and treated with enzymatic or chemical agents that eliminate the organic compounds responsible for the smell.

The result is a cabin that not only meets disinfection standards but also presents well when the next passengers board. For charter operators, that combination satisfies both the contractual sanitisation requirement and the client's sensory expectation of a fresh, well-maintained interior. The certificate of treatment documents both the disinfection and the odour-removal work, so you have a single record covering the entire service.