The Tucson Airport Authority (TAA) is proud to announce its latest accomplishment to highlight the organization’s commitment to a clean, safe and healthy environment for everyone who works in and travels through Tucson International Airport (TUS). TUS is one of just five airports in the world, and the fourth in the United States, to achieve this accreditation.

TAA just received final approval that is has complete the GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation Program. The Global Biorisk Advisory Council’s GBAC STAR™ facility accreditation program is the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response, and recovery accreditation for facilities.

The accreditation comes months after TAA launched its TUS Cares initiative in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. TAA leadership has invested more than $250,000 on upgrades in and around the terminal to ensure a safe and healthy experience.

“This is validation for our entire team that the diligent work through TUS Cares has exceeded industry expectations and will continue to meet the high standards of the traveling public,” said TAA President & CEO Danette Bewley. “We are proud of this accreditation, but it is not our ultimate goal. We will continue to innovate and invest in our facilities so that returning travelers will feel better about their experience at Tucson International Airport.”

A facility needs to comply with 20 criteria outlined by GBAC, which is a division of ISSA, the leading worldwide association for the cleaning industry. Among other attributes, a GBAC STAR™-accredited facility has established and maintained a cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention program to minimize risks associated with infectious agents like COVID-19.

“This accreditation is a testament to the incredible job the custodial team does for the airport,” said TAA COO & VP of Operations Bruce Goetz. “It shows we have excellent processes in place for how we clean our facility.”

Goetz and Bewley knew TAA could earn the accreditation when the process was first announced this spring. Both are eager to share more information about TAA’s efforts with interested news outlets. Anyone curious to learn more about GBAC STAR™ in general can find info at GBAC.org.