2008 was the best year yet in the history of cabin air specialist CTT Systems. The Swedish company reports that in the 12 months to the end of December it sold nine examples of its Cair humidification system for installation in VIP aircraft, plus 46 units of its Zonal Drying System.
Cair, which humidifies the extremely dry air (3-5 per cent relative humidity) typical of first and business-class cabins without creating condensation, is fast becoming a standard feature of VIP aircraft. Recent orders have come from leading VIP completions providers: Associated Air Centre of Dallas (Airbus A319, for installation in the first half of this year), Hamburg-based Lufthansa Technik (Airbus A330, this autumn) and Gore Design Completions of San Antonio, Texas (A340, fourth quarter).
CTT says that in the lifetime of the programme Cair has been selected for 14 Boeing BBJs, two 767s and a 747, plus four Airbus A319s, three ACJs, three A330s and six A340s.
Cair is designed to provide a pleasant relative humidity of 25 per cent to reduce the incidence of problems associated with excessively dry air - fatigue, jetlag, red eyes, dry skin, airborne virus infections. The system is based on energy-efficient evaporative cooling technology and includes measures that effectively rule out the transfer of bacteria within the aircraft.
CTT humidification is optional in Boeing 787 crew rest compartments and on the flight deck; in the Airbus A350 cabin, flight deck and crew rest compartments; and in A380 crew rest compartments.
The complementary Zonal Drying System is designed to counter harmful condensation on the cold inside surface of the aircraft skin. Benefits include reduced fuel consumption and thus emissions through the elimination of significant weights of accumulated water, less corrective maintenance and thus improved operational reliability, and better insulation performance. Corrosion is also reduced, leading to an improvement in aircraft residual value. Zonal Drying has been selected as standard on the Boeing 787 and as an option on the Airbus A350.
CTT will be showing its wares at next month’s Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg and talking about how Cair benefits passengers and crew at the ICE (Ideal Cabin Environment) conference in Munich on March 9-10.
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