Under a Memorandum of Understand (MoU) signed at the Singapore Airshow, RISE Aerospace will offer Permagard Aviation’s antimicrobial shield for aircraft interiors and protective exterior coating for aircraft exteriors.
The deal also includes Permagard Aviation’s specialist cabin appearance management software designed for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) clients, as well as specialized wastewater reclamation equipment that allowed wet washing of aircraft on any hard stand.
The two parties said in a joint statement they also planned to develop an integrated pest management program to eradicate and control infestations on aircraft.
Permagard Aviation general manager Warren Bertschinger said the company was delighted to partner with RISE Aerospace.
“Bringing our expertise and experience together will enable us to develop innovative new products and services to offer in the Asia region,” Bertschinger said in a statement.
The aerospace antimicrobial coating market was worth US$22.4 million (A$28.5 million) in 2017, according to figures from ASDReports released in January 2018.
It was expected to expand to US$31.2 million (A$39.7 million) by 2022, representing a compound annual growth rate of 6.9 per cent.
“This growth can be attributed to the increase in safety concerns against contagious diseases from harmful microorganisms and rise in aircraft deliveries,” ASDReports said.
In particular, the Asia Pacific region was expected to experience the highest growth rates for the aerospace antimicrobial coating market.
“Factors such as air passenger traffic in emerging countries such as India and China and improving economic conditions in Asia Pacific are expected to drive the growth of the aerospace antimicrobial coating market,” ASDReports said.
The aftermarket segment too was forecast to do well as aircraft had their antimicrobial recoatings done more frequently as the increase in passenger traffic led to the aircraft interior coatings getting stained, scratched, or washed away when in use.
RISE Aerospace chief executive Rauff Kareem said the partnership would benefit the company’s existing customers in providing a “total cabin care solution”.
“This collaboration will allow our companies to explore mutual opportunities and to offer a wide range of benefits to the airlines in the Asia region,” Kareem said in a statement.
“Permagard Aviation’s innovative ideas are unique and the company has great presence in Australia. Now Permagard Aviation will extend its reach into the Asia region via RISE Aerospace’s established presence.”
In this part of the world, Permagard has applied its protective coating, which filters out ultra violet light and protects aircraft paint from oxidising and fading, on about 120 Virgin Australia aircraft.
The coating also helps reduce cleaning time and cuts down the number of times an aircraft needs to be washed.
The company also works on airlines such as Qantas, Jetstar, Regional Express and QantasLink, as well as Air New Zealand and its subsidiaries.
Meanwhile, a division of Permagard Australia Group, 145 Aviation Services, began performing Lufthansa Technik’s Cyclean Engine Wash service at Melbourne Airport on the CFM56 engines on Qantas’s Boeing 737-800s in March 2017.
The Permagard website said Cyclean sprays pre-heated water directly into the core engine at high pressure, which “provides a fine, evenly distributed amount of atomised water through the engine’s gas path”.
No post-wash engine runs are required, and the overall service time for each engine is less than one hour.
