Virgin Australia’s ATR 72-500/600 turboprop fleet of 14 aircraft will carry a protective exterior coating from Permagard Australia.
The work to clean, prepare and apply the clear polymer seal to the aircraft exterior takes two days per frame and is being conducted at Virgin’s Brisbane
engineering facility, Permagard said in a statement.
Since then, Permagard has applied its protective coating, which filters out ultra violet light and protects aircraft paint from oxidising and fading, to
Virgin’s 737s, Airbus A330s and Embraer E190 jets. Once the ATRs are completed, about 120 Virgin aircraft will have the coating, which also helps reduce
cleaning time and cuts down the number of times an aircraft needs to be washed.
Meanwhile, in April, Permagard said it had gained certification to apply an invisible, non-toxic “antimicrobial shield” to the interiors of Boeing and
Airbus aircraft.
This invisible coating bonds with all surfaces forming a dense, “microscopic shield or layer of sharp molecular pins”, Permagard said, which was “unaffected
by regular aircraft cleaning processes”.
“It is a safe, highly effective process similar to antimicrobial treatments now used in hospitals and food processing plants,” Permagard group director
Chris Plastow said in a statement.
“Antimicrobial treatment of public transport equipment is a new and important focus for airlines, railway operators, bus and shipping lines as well as
border control organisations and public health authorities.
