A lot of work goes on behind the scenes in between flights as crews prepare airplanes to fly to their next destination. Employees must get their work done quickly because time is of the essence. A delay in one aircraft getting off the ground could lead to a chain reaction in terms of connecting flights and the order of takeoffs from the runway.
From mechanics to baggage handlers to the folks who keep everything clean and tidy for the next group of passengers, everyone has their eye on the clock in order to meet the airlines’ schedule. One area that could stand some improvement is the airplane lavatory.
Aircraft mechanics who need to service an airplane’s commode typically have to remove the entire toilet before they can fix it, whether they need to replace one part or even just deal with a small scratch on the bowl.
This process takes a lot of time because it is inefficient. To remedy the situation, Zodiac Aerospace has created a new type of airplane toilet that it recently unveiled at the Aircraft Interiors Expo, according to a report at Skift.
The new design uses different interchangeable sub-parts, so now crews won’t have to remove the entire unit to make a small repair. Pipes are reversible, so the crew won’t have to worry about keeping sets of left-hand and right-hand pipes when they need to swap out a broken pipe. Working in tight quarters makes the job more difficult, which is why using sub-parts will help speed up repairs.
What’s more, Zodiac Aerospace is doing without conventional Teflon-coated bowls and is substituting a new composite material that confers the same advantages in terms of cleanup but weighs 30 percent less than standard stainless steel bowls.
This means passengers can expect to have access to airplane lavatories that will function more reliably and will be better maintained and cleaned. Airlines will save money and time in repair, cleanup and maintenance as well as on fuel because the equipment weighs less.
We applaud efforts to help save airplane crews time and effort. The more efficiently they can do their jobs, the better the entire flight experience will be for passengers and the crew.
