Swiss robots use UV light to zap viruses aboard passenger planes

A robot developed by Swiss company UVeya armed with virus-killing ultraviolet light is seen during tests aboard an Embraer airplane of Helvetic Airways, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, at Zurich Airport in Zurich, Switzerland March 31, 2021. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

ZURICH (Reuters) - A robot armed with virus-killing ultraviolet light is being tested on Swiss airplanes, yet another idea aiming to restore passenger confidence and spare the travel industry more pandemic pain.

UVeya, a Swiss start-up, is conducting the trials of the robots with Dubai-based airport services company Dnata inside Embraer jets from Helvetic Airways, a charter airline owned by Swiss billionaire Martin Ebner.