BA aeroplanes that are undergoing maintenance or have been parked for a short period of time are deep-cleaned by the Ultra team, who follow a strict programme designed to make sure the cabin is pristine. The level of detail the team goes to in removing all dust, crumbs and dirt is second to none and the process leaves every surface not only clean, but sterilised.

British Airways require that all their planes are ultra-cleaned every 45 days, no matter how may flights they’ve flown. Carpets must be thoroughly shampooed every 65 days. So, despite the current downturn, the team is still busy maintaining exceptionally high standards.

The team’s work is regularly audited and in the period January to March they scored on average 99% for their cleaning, with seven of the planes scoring full marks. Since then, the team has had to adjust slightly because of coronavirus – they’re no longer working nightshifts and have adopted social distancing onboard the aircraft, meaning that it’s taking a little longer than usual to complete the ultra clean.

Tracey Cogswell, Operations Manager, could not be more proud of her team: “They’re working as hard as ever to make sure the aircraft meet the expected standards. We work alongside the BA engineers to plan our work and make sure both the cleaning and the maintenance are completed on schedule It’s a real team effort and the Ultra team are the very best team there is.”