Operators of the 50-seat Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft now have a new option to help prevent the potential transmission of viruses on board – important given Covid-19 concerns. Embraer has released a Service Bulletin that allows ERJ 145 operators to install high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. According to the company, the kits for the first 70 aircraft are already being assembled and should be delivered by mid-December.
“Given the moment we are living in, developing a HEPA filter service bulletin for the ERJ 145 is a must-have solution Embraer developed for making cabin conditions even safer for passengers,” stated Johann Bordais, president and CEO of Embraer Services & Support.
Embraer’s engineering teams spent around five and a half months developing the HEPA solution. During that time, Embraer selected the filter and worked through the necessary steps to create the service bulletin, manufacturing and purchasing several of the required parts to develop the kits. Embraer is also expecting to complete the same initiative for the ERJ 135 and ERJ 140 “very soon”.
HEPA filters are standard on all versions of Embraer’s E-Jets and E-Jets E2 families of commercial aircraft, capturing 99.97% of airborne particles and other biological contaminants, such as bacteria, viruses and fungi. This technology is also available on Embraer Executive Jets, with the HEPA filter now standard on both the Praetor 500 and Praetor 600.
Earlier this year, Embraer also approved the use of MicroShield360, a preventive coating system that, when applied to aircraft cabin surfaces, continuously inhibits the growth of microbes. The combination of these new features, with the existing cabin environment technologies, create a higher level of protection for passengers.
