Airlines Approach World Health Organisation Compliance Deadline For Aircraft Insecticide

Airlines need to ensure that the active ingredient of insecticide sprays meets current World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines following a change to the ruling on which chemical can be safely used.

The WHO published an evaluation report in September last year in which it withdrew its longstanding recommendation for aircraft insecticide with the active ingredient d-phenothrin.

Instead, no later than next September, airlines will be required to carry out on board “disinsection” using insecticides with the active ingredient 1R-trans-phenothrin.

“Aircraft disinsection is a vital measure to protect against the spread of malaria and other diseases spread by insects,” says Nick Carnall, Managing Director or Horsleys International Limited, whose company supplies top international airlines with on-board hygiene and cleaning equipment, including aircraft insecticide.

“Air crew take great care to ensure that clearing the cabin of potentially harmful insects is done with the minimum impact on the environment and the lowest possible risk to human and animal health. The latest WHO study concluded that this balance of benefit and risk means that using aircraft insecticide spray containing d-phenothrin is no longer recommended.”

Horsleys Aircraft Insecticide contains the WHO recommended pesticide 1R-trans-phenothrin, which is effective against flying and crawling insects found on aircraft including mosquitoes, house flies, gnats, fleas, mites, ants, cockroaches and wasps. The spray, which has very low toxicity to humans, is delivered using a non-flammable, ozone friendly propellant safe for pressurised aircraft cabins. Any residue quickly biodegrades to make Horsleys Aircraft Insecticide the safest possible option for preventing the spread of infectious disease by international travel.