3M and Safran Cabin have announced that they are partnering to create aircraft cabin hygiene initiatives that can help restore passenger confidence and promote the recovery of global air travel. Under the terms of the deal 3M will provide technologies to help design cleaner aircraft cabin interiors for ‘Travel Safe’, a joint initiative of various Safran Interior companies to enhance cabin hygiene.
“Today, passengers choose their airline by considering not only safety, interactivity and connectivity, but also interior hygiene assurance,” said Stephen Shafer, vice president and general manager of 3M’s automotive and aerospace solutions division. “The most important factor is the protection of travellers and their families, and 3M continues to apply its technology to enable passenger safety in the skies. Safran is a leader in the industry and we have great synergy between the two companies.”
Safran will certify 3M technology that enhances the cleaning and protection features of aircraft cabin equipment and that can mitigate or improve the removal of bacteria and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. According to 3M these solutions can be permanently embedded into aircraft interior surfaces during the manufacturing process, or applied as an upgrade to existing interiors.
“Clean interiors are an industry imperative, and we have with 3M an innovative partner and expert in cleaning, disinfection and protection, who can blend the latest in clean technology with the specialised plastics, decors, and composites used in aircraft interiors,” explained Norman Jordan, CEO of Safran Cabin.
The exclusive partnership will leverage the research capability of both companies, and they expect that the first of these new aerospace materials will be available in 2021.
