DFW International Airport has finished installing a $9 million air filtration system that it says uses blue light to kill germs and improve air quality.
Khaled Naja, Airport executive vice president for infrastructure and development, said the system is one-of-a-kind.
"Other airports have used it,” Naja said. “This is the first time that an airport facility has actually used it at all airport facilities."
It’s in place in every building at the airport – in all 933 air units.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
"It's on. It's on all the time,” Naja said. “The air circulates five to seven times an hour through the system and as it's circulating, it just gets zapped so all the pathogens disappear."
It took two years to install the blue lights, which are also in place in some baby changing rooms.
“Oh this is nice,” said Dallas mother Natalee Allen as she changed diapers on her 14-month-old daughter Beatrice.
Between every use, the blue light sanitizes the fold-down table so it’s clean for the next customer.
The Allens were headed to Utah to visit family for the holidays.
"I think a lot of people might be nervous to start traveling again after COVID so it's nice to know they're putting in measures to keep it safe and clean for everybody,” Allen said.
Naja said he is proud of the project.
"Most people have no idea about our innovation record,” he said. “But what we do is we do it all behind the scenes and we do it to take care of our customers."
