BAE Systems and Quest International UK have introduced the AirManager, a new active air management system, which they say sets a new standard for exceptionally clean air on board aircraft.

In addition to introducing AirManager onto its own BAe 146/Avro RJ airliners, BAE Systems has signed an agreement with Quest International to bring the benefits of the AirManager technology to the wider aviation market.

Under this agreement BAE Systems will act as an authorized distributor for worldwide sales for an initial period of five years.

BAE Systems has designed and certificated a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for installation on the Boeing 757 with a trial unit now being evaluated. Contracts for future STC designs on other aircraft types will be determined by Quest International.

The AirManager uses a revolutionary development called Close Coupled Field Technology (CCFT), which is a contained and safe electrical field that eliminates smells, and breaks down and destroys airborne pathogens, contaminants and toxins.

Sean McGovern, operations director of BAE Systems' Regional Aircraft business. said: "In embracing Quest International UK's remarkable AirManager technology BAE Systems' approach has been to raise the bar to a new level. At a time when there is increasing concern about the transmission of infections on aircraft, together with the continued debate about the quality of air on board aircraft, we are making available benchmark technology to the world's airlines to allow them to address the widest possible challenges to cabin air quality."

Quest International UK's AirManager system was developed in the late 1990s initially for use in the health sector. Since then some 5,000 units have been supplied to hospitals, nurseries, veterinary premises, quarantine centers and many other sectors.

David Hallam, inventor of the technology and director of Quest International UK said: "the main strength of CCFT is its ability to destroy a wide range of contaminants very quickly. It achieves a single-pass kill rate of 99.999% of bio-hazards and removing particles down to below 0.1 micron, which is equivalent to a single particle of cigarette smoke.

"Our active air treatment systems provide reduction of airborne contaminants to levels far in excess of those achieved by conventional passive HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Arrest) filters. The AirManager system maintains its superiority over other new technology air purification systems by virtue of its broad spectrum of operation - it is not just a point solution to a point problem," he added.

Quest International UK approached BAE Systems Regional Aircraft in 2004 to consider whether the AirManager could be engineered to work effectively on board commercial aircraft.

BAE Systems undertook a four-year research evaluation through its Advanced Technology Centre and supporting agencies to verify the technology and investigate and ensure that it could be safely installed in aircraft. The research included tests on pyrolized engine oils, hydraulic and de-icing fluids with "startling" results under laboratory conditions, the firm said. BAE Systems said AirManager destroyed the tiny amounts of resulting Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in one pass by breaking the compounds down into single harmless anatomical parts.

BAE Systems submitted AirManager for European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification, clearing it for application on BAe 146 and Avro RJ regional jetliners. To further evaluate the system, the firm has installed the AirManager into the flight deck and cabin air systems of eight aircraft operated by five European airlines.

The evaluation, which is coming to an end, included pre- and post-installation cabin air measurement of VOCs, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, humidity and temperature.

Aside from cleaner cabin air, the firm has identified potential fuel burn savings, as the AirManager system cleans the air allowing the air conditioning system to operate more fully in 're-circ' mode. "We believe the fuel burn savings are likely to at least cover the purchase cost of the AirManager in the first year," said McGovern.

For the BAe 146/Avro RJ, two AirManager units will be required to provide full clean air coverage at a cost comparable with using existing conventional filters. A Boeing 757 passenger jet would require five AirManager units.

Installation of the system is straightforward and can be achieved in stages across several days as part of overnight line maintenance activity. Replacement of the units can be carried out at 'C' Check intervals when the unit is exchanged for a new one, with the old unit being overhauled at a service center. The system cost should be no more than a new replacement passive filter unit that is currently used in most aircraft, the firm believes.

BAE Systems is marketing the AirManager to its BAe 146/Avro RJ customer base and has placed initial orders with Quest International UK for 25 ship sets. One of the trial airlines has now ordered the AirManager for its Avro RJ fleet and BAE Systems' own Corporate Air Travel executive shuttle operation has also ordered the system.

The Asset Management and Support businesses of BAE Systems Regional Aircraft will market the AirManager technology. Paul Stirling, executive vice president of Asset Management, said: "BAE Systems has a strong belief in AirManager...We are working closely with Quest International UK to determine the next STCs to be developed and it is likely that our efforts will focus on the popular Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 airliner families."