Another step forward for the environment with waterless washing of our aircraft
3,000 to 4,000 litres of water were used to wash an ATR aircraft. To significantly reduce this water consumption, the Operations and Environment teams have worked together to find a viable solution that would allow the preservation of this natural resource. We are proud to announce that they have completed this challenge.
Two waterless cleaning solutions were available on the market: one based on biodegradable essential oils applied through reusable dry cleaning wipes, and another combining the use of steam and wipes. In order to choose the final solution, three selection criteria were defined: the nature of the chemicals used, the amount of waste generated and the energy consumed, with a ranking of the proposals according to their environmental impact, their technical efficiency and the final result on the aircraft. Following this analysis and testing phase, the solution based on essential oils was finally selected.
In addition to drastically saving water, with only 30 to 40 litres used per aircraft wash, this solution saves time as it does not require the aircraft to be moved and allows our colleagues at the FAL to work on the aircraft during the cleaning phases.
The first delivery of an aircraft washed with this new method took place successfully on 31 March for one of our Japanese operators.
Take a look at the video of the washing of one of our ATRs in Saint-Martin with this new solution.