ZURICH: A robot armed with virus-killing ultraviolet light is being tested on Swiss airplanes, yet another idea aiming to restore passenger confidence and spare the travel industry more pandemic pain.
UVeya, a Swiss start-up, is conducting the trials of the robots with Dubai-based airport services company Dnata inside Embraer jets from Helvetic Airways, a charter airline owned by Swiss billionaire Martin Ebner.
Aircraft makers still must certify the devices and are studying the impact their UV light may have on interior upholstery, which could fade after many disinfections, UVeya co-founder Jodoc Elmiger said.
Still, he’s hopeful robot cleaners could reduce people’s fear of flying, even as COVID-19 circulates.
“This is a proven technology, it’s been used for over 50 years in hospitals and laboratories, it’s very efficient,” Elmiger said. “It doesn’t leave any trace or residue.”
Elmiger’s team has built three prototypes so far, one of which he demonstrated inside a Helvetic jet at the Zurich Airport, where traffic plunged 75% last year.
The robot’s lights, mounted on a crucifix-shaped frame, cast everything in a soft-blue glow as it slowly moved up the Embraer’s aisle. One robot can disinfect a single-aisled plane in 13 minutes, start to finish, though larger planes take longer.
Dnata executives hope airplane makers will sign off on the robots — Elmiger estimates they’ll sell for 15,000 Swiss francs ($15,930) or so — as governments require new measures to ensure air travelers don’t get sick.
“We were looking for a sustainable, and also environmentally friendly solution, to cope with those requests,” said Lukas Gyger, Dnata’s chief operating officer in Switzerland.
While privately owned Helvetic has not needed bailouts like much of the industry, its business has also been gutted, with its fleet sitting largely silently in hangars. UVeya’s UV robots may help change that, said Mehdi Guenin, a Helvetic spokesman.
“If our passengers, if our crew know our aircraft are safe — that there are no viruses or bacteria — it could help them to fly again,” Guenin said.
Emirates Group unit trials robots using UV light to zap viruses on planes
https://arab.news/m8njp
Emirates Group unit trials robots using UV light to zap viruses on planes
- Robot cleaners may help to reduce fear of flying
- Impact of UV light on aircraft seats studied
Closing Bell: Saudi main market edges up to 10,745 points
RIYADH: Saudi equities closed higher on Monday, with the Tadawul All Share Index finishing up 135.69 points, or 1.28 percent, at 10,745.45.
The MSCI Tadawul 30 Index also advanced, rising 22.21 points, or 1.57 percent, to close at 1,436.31, while the Nomu Parallel Market Index slipped 31.80 points, or 0.13 percent, to 23,586.94.
Market breadth was positive on the main market, with 216 gainers against 42 decliners, while Nomu saw 42 stocks advancing and 36 declining.
Trading activity picked up, with 261.7 million shares changing hands, while total turnover reached SR5.10 billion ($1.3 billion).
Among the top performers, Saudi Fisheries Co. led the gains, closing at SR63.90, up SR5.80, or 9.98 percent. Naseej International Trading Co. rose to SR34.94, gaining SR3.16, or 9.94 percent, while Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Development Co. ended at SR16.74, up SR1.16, or 7.45 percent.
Zahrat Al Waha for Trading Co. added 6.84 percent to close at SR2.50, and Alamar Foods Co. climbed 5.75 percent to SR42.70.
On the losing side, Al Masar Al Shamil Education Co. fell 4.36 percent to SR23.90, while Saudi Paper Manufacturing Co. declined 2.82 percent to SR62.05.
United International Holding Co. slipped 2.36 percent to SR153.40, Saudi Aramco Base Oil Co. dropped 2.09 percent to SR98.60, and United Electronics Co. eased 1.90 percent to SR85.00.
On the announcement front, Mouwasat Medical Services Co. announced that its board has approved the establishment of a new hospital in Riyadh’s Al-Narjis District, with a planned capacity of 280 beds and a total investment cost of SR900 million.
The project will be financed through a mix of self-funding and long-term Shariah-compliant bank facilities, with further details on timelines and financial impact to be disclosed at a later stage.
Shares of Mouwasat Medical Services Co. closed at SR67.95, gaining SR1.40, or 2.10 percent.
Saudi Arabian Mining Co. reported a net addition of 7.8 million ounces of new gold resources following extensive exploration and drilling activities across multiple sites, alongside the identification of new mineralization opportunities in gold and base metals.
The company noted that the financial impact of these discoveries has yet to be determined and will be assessed in due course.
Shares of Saudi Arabian Mining Co. closed at SR67.50, up SR3.05, or 4.73 percent.
