Types of Aircraft Disinsection
Aircraft disinsection can be done before boarding, in flight, on arrival, or as a longer-lasting treatment on the ground. The four types differ in who is aboard, who does the work, whether a US applicator can perform it at all, and what it asks of your crew. Here is how they compare, and why pre-embarkation is the right choice for an aircraft leaving the United States.
| Type | When and where | Passengers aboard? | Available from a US applicator? | What it asks of the crew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-embarkation | At the departure airport, on the empty aircraft, before passengers board | No | Yes. This is our service. | Carry the certificate; record the treatment on the General Declaration |
| On-arrival | At the destination gate, after landing, before anyone disembarks, under the arrival authority’s supervision | Yes | Not applicable; it happens at the destination | Wait aboard while the cabin is sprayed; costs are often charged to the operator |
| Top-of-descent | In flight, sprayed by the crew before descent (retired under the WHO 2nd edition in favour of pre-departure spraying before push-back) | Yes | Performed by the crew, not an applicator | Spray the occupied cabin, then keep the empty cans to show the arrival authority |
| Residual | On the ground, aircraft empty, a longer-lasting treatment applied to interior surfaces | No | No. Not currently legal in the United States | Depends on the destination’s arrangements |
What each one actually involves.
Pre-embarkation
The empty aircraft is treated with a WHO-approved aerosol at the departure airport, at the last port before the destination country, before passengers board. Cabin, flight deck and holds are treated, the aircraft is ventilated for the required wait, and it boards. A certificate is issued for the flight and the crew records the treatment on the General Declaration. Nobody is aboard during the treatment, and the operator controls the timing.
On-arrival
The aircraft lands, the doors stay closed, and an officer of the arrival authority sprays the cabin over the passengers’ heads before anyone is allowed off. It is what happens to an aircraft that arrives without a verified treatment. The passengers experience it, the timing belongs to the authority, and the operator is often charged for it.
Top-of-descent
The crew sprays the occupied cabin in flight, shortly before descent, then keeps the empty cans to present on arrival as proof. It puts the aerosol in a full cabin, it puts the job on the flight crew, and it depends on the cans surviving to the gate. The WHO 2nd edition retired top-of-descent and replaced it with pre-departure spraying after boarding and before push-back, which is still a treatment with passengers in their seats.
Residual
A longer-lasting insecticide is applied to interior surfaces on the ground with the aircraft empty, under conditions the destination authority sets. It is a recognized method elsewhere in the world. In the United States it is not currently legal: there is no residual aircraft insecticide registered by the US EPA, so no US applicator can lawfully perform it. We do not offer it.
Six reasons it is the right choice for a US departure.
Nobody is aboard
The treatment happens on an empty aircraft and the cabin is ventilated before anyone steps into it. Passengers never see it. On-arrival, top-of-descent and pre-departure all put the aerosol in an occupied cabin.
Your airport, your schedule
Pre-embarkation is performed at your US departure airport, timed to your boarding, by a crew that comes to the aircraft. On-arrival treatment happens at the destination, when the authority gets to you.
Legal and available today
It uses a WHO-approved, US EPA-registered aircraft aerosol and can be performed by a US applicator now. Residual cannot be performed in the United States at present because no residual product is EPA-registered.
Nothing for the flight crew to spray or keep
Top-of-descent asks the crew to spray the cabin in flight and hold on to the empty cans as evidence. Pre-embarkation asks the crew to carry a certificate and make an entry on the General Declaration, using details we hand them.
Certificate in hand before take-off
The proof the arrival authority reads is issued on completion at the departure airport, in the format the destination accepts. The aircraft lands already compliant, and arrival is a formality.
Accepted where you are going
Pre-embarkation is a WHO standard method accepted by a wide range of countries that require disinsection, including the destinations we serve from the US. Australia and New Zealand pair it with operator paperwork we help with.
Frequently asked questions
What are the types of aircraft disinsection?
Four are in common use: pre-embarkation (empty aircraft treated at the departure airport before boarding), on-arrival (sprayed at the destination gate with passengers aboard), top-of-descent (sprayed by the crew in flight, now retired under the WHO 2nd edition in favour of pre-departure spraying), and residual (a longer-lasting surface treatment on the ground).
Which type of disinsection is best?
For an aircraft leaving the United States, pre-embarkation. Nobody is aboard during treatment, it happens at your departure airport on your schedule, the certificate is in hand before take-off, no crew member sprays a cabin or keeps cans, and it is available from a US applicator today.
Is residual disinsection legal in the United States?
Not currently. There is no residual aircraft insecticide registered by the US EPA, so no US applicator can lawfully perform the residual method. We do not offer it.
What does top-of-descent disinsection require?
The crew sprays the cabin in flight with passengers aboard and keeps the empty aerosol cans to show the arrival authority. The WHO 2nd edition retired it in favour of pre-departure spraying before push-back, which still involves an occupied cabin.
What happens with on-arrival disinsection?
The aircraft is sprayed at the destination gate after landing, before anyone disembarks, under the supervision of the arrival authority. Passengers are seated throughout, the timing belongs to the authority, and the cost is often charged to the operator.