FedEx Kudos for Fire Suppression

The Flight Safety Foundation’s annual Honeywell Bendix Trophy for Aviation Safety has been awarded to the Air Operations Division of FedEx Express. The company developed a fire suppression system for FedEx's DC-10 and MD-11 freighters, and it will eventually be installed on all new production aircraft for FedEx prior to entering service. In-flight fire is an especially significant risk on cargo planes as so much of the cargo compartment is inaccessible. The system uses infrared heat detection and heat modeling to pinpoint a fire, which the system attacks with a fire extinguising agent. "This is a game-changer," commented William R. Voss, FSF president and chief executive officer, as he presented the award. "This system required thousands of hours of testing and development, but it was worth it. FedEx pilots now have an enhanced level of protection from cargo fires that could occur."