Andrew Douse
It's being described as the most important improvement in passenger safety since the seat belt - an airbag to further protect passengers in survivable aircraft accidents.
The Aviation Inflatable Restraint (AAIR) has been created by Amsafe, one of the world's leading manufacturers of aircraft restraint systems, and is being demonstrated at its stand in Hall A (900A).
Compatible with standard commercial airline seats, the AAIR looks and operates like standard Amsafe seat belts. But an integral airbag stored in the fixed half seat belt is designed to deploy and protect passengers during an accident up to 16g (g-force).
When sensors detect a 16g event, the airbag pillow deploys up and away from the passengers lap belt within milliseconds.
Amsafe's Cary Pawluk says: "It's taken us more than three years to develop this system and we have invested millions of dollars because we believe this is the future of passenger safety.
"After certification, the AAIR will be making its debut later this year in a BAe Jetstream J41."
As required by US and European airworthiness regulations, AAIR protects passengers in a survivable event by cushioning and diminishing the impact over time, lowering the Head Injury Criteria (HIC) factor from more than 3,000 with current aircraft seat belts to significantly less than 1,000 HIC. Since an HIC of 1,000 can be fatal, the AAIR could be the difference between life and death.
Source: Flight Daily News
