"It gives a nice, fresh feeling," Gunnar Nilsson told Flight Daily News yesterday. The Swede, sales and marketing director for CTT Systems (Stand D5B, Hall 5A), wasn't talking about the unfortunately rare cooling breezes at a sultry Le Bourget.
Instead he was describing the effect on passengers of his company's Zonal Comfort System (ZCS) in a recent trial with Scandinavian airline SAS.
Notorious
Designed for long-haul airliners and VIP aircraft, ZCS is an all-purpose humidity-control system that both controls excess cabin moisture and combats the notorious dehydrating effect of cabin air on passengers.
In the SAS trial the system was installed on a Boeing 767-300 and evaluated in service for 18 months and 6,000 flying hours. It was installed only in business class, a part of the aircraft that is particularly dry because of the comparatively low density of passenger occupation.
"This was unique in being the first ever trial of cabin humidification for the benefit of passengers and crew," says Nilsson. "The sensors we installed detected a significant improvement in cabin air quality, leading to a reduction in complaints about headaches and eye dryness."
The airline is now considering fleet fits on its Airbus A330s and A340s. "We hope that they will be in a position to decide some time this summer," says Nilsson.
ZCS is already flying operationally on a number of VIP and corporate aircraft. It has been earmarked for the 11 BBJs being completed for fractional operator NetJets by Lufthansa Technik and has been ordered by completion house Jet Aviation of Basel for BBJs and a Middle Eastern VIP 747. In the USA, completion specialist Associated Air Centre is putting it into a VIP 767.
CTT Systems also produces the Zonal Drying System, designed to reduce problems with excess moisture and condensation in regional jets and short-haul airliners.
The company says ZDS is in service in more than a hundred aircraft, helping to improve operational reliability, cut maintenance costs, reduce operating costs and protect aircraft value in the long term.
Launch customer on the 737NG was Transavia of the Netherlands; the system is now being offered as an option on new-build NGs.
It is also being evaluated on an Airbus A320 operated by Air 2000 of the UK, and has entered service on Bombardier CRJ100s and 200s operated by Lufthansa Cityline.
Source: Flight Daily News
