Southwest Airlines reduces aircraft cleaning between departures

Southwest Airlines will cease to clean arm rests and seat belts after every flight, effective 01-Aug-2020, in order to reduce turnaround times (The Dallas Morning News/Bloomberg/USA Today, 03/04-Aug-2020). These areas will continue to be covered during the carrier's overnight cleans. Tray tables and lavatories will still be disinfected prior to each takeoff. The carrier stated it is "committed to retaining a level of cleaning before every flight - even as loads and daily flights have increased", and added it will "monitor customer and employee feedback as we adapt to the new normal in air travel, while ensuring we keep safety as our top priority".