A new technology to improve airflow on commercial airliners to help reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 is ready for delivery in AirShield. AirShield is, according to Pexco Aerospace, a new nozzle to dispense air as an air curtain instead of the traditional vents. With COVID-19 still a threatening pathogen, not to mention the many other bugs often present when people are close together, better air circulation remains necessary.

COVID-19 transmits via liquid particles

According to the World Health Organization (WHO),

"The [COVID-19] virus can spread from an infected person’s mouth or nose in small liquid particles when they cough, sneeze, speak, sing or breathe. These particles range from larger respiratory droplets to smaller aerosols."

Therefore airflow needs to be circulated and screened on an airliner. Pexco Aerospace recently bought from Teague the rights to build AirShield kits to retrofit airliners to meet the demand to stop the viral spread.

As Alaska Airlines explains on its website, aircraft that use HEPA filters, which filter 99.9% of airborne particles and circulate air every 2-3 minutes, provide "better ventilation than grocery stores and office buildings." This information is confirmed on page 7 of a Teague AirShield whitepaper.

Highly effective in removing contagious particles

Even with COVID-19 on the back foot in most of the world, the need for better air circulation for public health remains. There is still the common cold and cases of flu, for starters. Plus, the repeal of the mask mandate both in the United States and on some European airlines means that many coughs and sneezes will be... uncaught.

According to computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and on-wing tests aboard B737 and A320 aircraft, Pexco’s AirShield technology will reduce shared air particles between neighboring passengers in an economy cabin by 76 %. It also doubles how particles are expelled and replaced by purified air while being 50 % quieter. AirShield will become a vent that will always be on but does not alter the cabin's temperature or volume of air, improving the in-flight experience.

For Jon Page, President of Pexco Aerospace;

“We all want our personal space to be protected from unwanted germs and smells when we fly, especially in economy class, and AirShield provides that. With mask-wearing being phased out, the ‘virtual social distance’ the industry needs provides every passenger with what they want most - a premium and personalized inflight experience.”

Furthermore, an independent IPSOS survey of 1,000 US-based passengers who have traveled for leisure between 2018 and November 2020 found that 89% would feel more comfortable flying with AirShield post-pandemic. When choosing which airline to fly with, 86% of respondents said they would pick an airline with Pexco’s AirShield installed over one without.

Easy installation

No special tools are required to install AirShield; the vents can be retrofitted during a heavy check or retrofit. Some versions of AirShield can have overnight aircraft maintenance install AirShield into an airliner cabin. According to page 14 of the Teague AirShield whitepaper, the product can be 3D printed from "aerospace approved material" to meet each customer's specific needs.

Compare and contrast before and after AirShield installation

Below for reference is an author's photo of the standard Boeing 737 MAX-9 air vents/gasper nozzles from a recent flight:

After installation, this is what that area would generally look like on a 737, according to Pexco Aerospace:

A YouTube helps explain AirShield

Finally, here's an AirShield YouTube video to help explain what AirSheild does:

Do you want airlines to install AirShield? Why or why not? Let us know please in the comments.

Source: Alaska Airlines, Teague Airshield White Paper, World Health Organization