Hand sanitizer challenge at KCI Airport

Air travel may be grinding to a halt, but airports are doing their best to keep facilities clean and safe for those who must still get on a plane.

That’s why this message from Kansas City International Airport (KCI) shared on Sunday afternoon is so disturbing.

KCI reports that over the weekend several hand sanitizer dispensers were ripped off the walls in airport restrooms.

As you may imagine, wall-mounted hand sanitizer dispensers are in high demand right now and are sold out almost everywhere.

“We are not able to purchase any more for months,” KCI Airport explains on its Facebook page.

KCI says it’s doing all it can to protect the health of its customers, “but this act makes that difficult.”

Right now the airport can only get hand sanitizer in dispenser bags. And if it transfers that hand sanitizer into bottles, the airport knows it’s likely those bottles would disappear too.

Airport officials say they’re reviewing the surveillance footage outside the restrooms. But for not, KCI reminds travelers that it has “plenty of soap and paper towel dispensers intact, and there are still hand sanitizer dispensers in most restrooms.”

Earlier this month, in a note outlining its efforts to address COVID-19, Kansas City Aviation said its custodial team had stepped up cleaning and disinfecting efforts in restrooms and public areas.

“Throughout the day, they are checking and refilling soap, paper towel and hand sanitizer dispensers,” KCI officials said. “Airlines, concessionaires and other tenants have increased cleaning efforts in their areas, including post-security. Flyers are posted in restrooms, a Health Department educational video is running on flight information displays and CNN Airport Channel is running a video on its monitors.”


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