Longleat Safari Park installs air-cleaning technology on its Safari Buses as extra protection for visitors

Longleat Safari Park has installed almost 200 air-cleaning devices on its Safari Buses to protect visitors from COVID-19, as the site fully reopens to the public this week (17 May).

One of the UK’s most iconic family attractions, Longleat has installed 63 AirLabs AirBubbl devices in each of its three double-decker buses – one on the back of every seat – as an extra protective measure for passengers.

The installation enables Longleat to operate the popular buses for the first time since the first lockdown in March 2020, as each AirBubbl removes 95% of airborne pollutants and pathogens, including coronavirus, and provides 30,000 litres of clean air per hour to keep visitors safe from airborne threats.

Scott Ashman, operations manager, at Longleat Safari Park, said: “We are excited to welcome visitors back on board our Safari Buses this week, as we fully reopen following the winter lockdown.

“The safety of our visitors is always our number one priority, so we have installed the AirBubbl air-cleaning devices as an additional measure to enable our passengers to safely and confidently get back on board our iconic buses.”

The buses run up to six times per day, with a full safari taking up to three hours. They will initially operate at half capacity (40), with passengers also asked to wear masks as an additional precaution.

The bus gives visitors the opportunity to go around the Safari drive-through via a bus instead of their own vehicles to see giraffe, zebra, rhino, tigers, lions and the infamous monkey drive-through.

Longleat has put in place a number of measures to protect visitors as the site reopens, including reducing capacity to allow for social distancing, mandating mask-wearing indoors, and introducing a new cleaning regime.

The AirBubbl is an extremely easy to install and cost-effective solution that is being deployed in public transport and a range of other settings around the globe to restore confidence in passenger safety as countries emerge from the pandemic.

Marc Ottolini, CEO of AirLabs, said: “The tourism and hospitality sector has been hard hit by the COVID-19 crisis, so it is fantastic to see a world-renowned attraction like Longleat take this step to protect visitors as they fully reopen this week. 

“Our AirBubbl technology will help transport operators and attractions to restore confidence in public transport, by prioritising passenger safety as UK tourism comes back online and lockdowns lift.”

The AirBubbl removes more than 95% of airborne viruses and contaminated particulate matter and floods the vehicle with over 30,000 litres of clean air every hour, creating a constant clean air zone for the driver and passengers to keep them safe. The AirBubbl is equally effective at removing air pollution, including harmful ozone gases, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and particle air pollutants PM2.5 and PM10, playing a vital role in protecting drivers and passengers long after the pandemic has passed.

Aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2

Coronaviruses such as the one that causes COVID-19 are spread via respiratory droplets produced by infected persons when they cough, sneeze, talk or breathe. While larger droplets quickly fall out of the air, smaller droplets persist as aerosols. Smaller aerosol particles are of concern because they may stay in the air for longer, travel further and be able to penetrate further into the respiratory tract when inhaled.

The WHO advises that the virus is spread:

• mainly between people who are in close contact with each other, typically within 1 metre (short-range). A person can be infected when aerosols or droplets containing the virus are inhaled or come directly into contact with the eyes, nose, or mouth.
• in poorly ventilated and/or crowded indoor settings, where people tend to spend longer periods of time. This is because aerosols remain suspended in the air or travel farther than 1 metre (long-range).

The Lancet has reported that airborne transmission is “the most likely route” for the transmission of the disease.

AirLabs has published a white paper on reducing exposure to airborne viruses using air filtration systems. It sets out the evidence behind airborne virus transmission and how air filtration can effectively remove bioaerosol particles.