Boeing for the first time has painted a 737-800 destined for revenue service with chrome-free primer.
The aircraft, which will be delivered to Sao Paulo-based Gol, was the first single-aisle aircraft to receive the environmentally friendlier primer.
The company says the chrome-free primer is in response to the Brazilian carrier and other customers, as well as a desire to reduce the environmental impact of aircraft during their operational lifetime.
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Chrome, which is the shorthand name for hexavalent chromium, is a known carcinogen and exposure levels are highly regulated.
When it comes time to repaint the aircraft and paint is stripped, the previous application of chrome-free primer "eliminates the need for designated off-site disposal areas and special handling of paint waste and clean up," the company says.
The company says it has been using a chrome-free decorative paint for more than a decade. A KLM Boeing 777-300ER delivered in August 2009 received a similar chrome-free primer during its painting process.
Boeing says it will continue to test a combination of the chrome-free paint and primer on its aircraft for in-serice evaluation, to make it a selectable option for customers in the future.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
