We will restore confidence in air travel: Collins Aerospace
Chris Forrest Vice President Airport Systems, Collins Aerospace
Top players in the aviation sector are working hard to solve the issues created by COVID-19. Even though the challenges are big, there is optimism in the industry about creating innovations that would make commercial air travel safe, smart, and comfortable. Chris Forrest, Vice President, Airport Systems, Collins Aerospace explains the current scenario as well as future plans. Commercial aerospace is among the key sectors Collins Aerospace has been involved in. Now the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the sector forever. Could you elaborate? COVID-19 has changed the air travel industry dramatically. I don’t think you’ll find many people who would disagree with that sentiment. We are working hard with our peers in the industry to adjust to this new reality of travel. We’ve always innovated for the future of flight and worked tirelessly to make commercial air travel as safe, smart and comfortable as possible. So working to address the challenges a novel virus has created for this industry is really what we were built for. It’s why we exist. And we’re as dedicated as ever to working with the world's top experts in health, government and aerospace to solve this issue and help restore confidence in air travel.
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Do you feel any aspect of the past flying experience would survive the pandemic? Our industry has consistently been at the forefront of safety and technology. And now, we are working harder than ever to find the most reliable materials, systems and solutions to make the travel experience as safe and comfortable as possible. That aspect of air travel will never change. We’ll continue to invest heavily in research and development to bring airlines the most technologically advanced solutions that solve their passenger’s greatest concerns and meet their most pressing needs. The future flying experience will certainly look different, but I think that’s a good thing. Passenger journey has changed dramatically but there are anxieties about infection. Could you tell us how passenger confidence could be restored? Collins Aerospace is taking a close look at all aspects of the passenger journey to restore the confidence the public has in air travel. Everything from check-in, to baggage drop and all the touchpoints found throughout the aircraft cabin are under an intense review. We’ve developed a cross-functional team that touches all aspects of our business and have partnered with airlines, OEMs, healthcare professionals, government entities and renowned academic and research institutions to investigate this very topic.
The first step Collins Aerospace is focused on is expanding the contactless passenger journey. For instance, a single tokenbased journey takes a passenger’s biometrics – typically a facial image – and ties it to the passenger’s boarding pass and government issued ID. Once enrolled, facial recognition enables the passenger to securely move through each touchpoint in a touchless, automated self-service fashion using their biometric as the travel token. Passengers can also choose to enroll and fly at a later date. In addition, solutions are being developed to help passengers safely navigate areas of the airport that typically face the most congestion: baggage check, security and immigration lines, boarding gates, and baggage claim areas. Passengers looking to travel in the near future with a six-foot distance from their peers, will demand airports address these areas of congestion by better enabling a contactless journey. Exciting projects are going on inside the aircraft cabin, as well. We’re creating lavatories that are more touchless with sensor and infrared technology - and we’re making them more sanitary with toilets that virtually eliminate the aerosolization of waste and wastewater. We’re also investigating new materials with inherent antimicrobial properties that can be implemented in applications throughout the cabin. Materials that stand up to harsher and more rigorous cleaning
