ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

A new type of ‘plane seat said to be capable of destroying the tiny microbes and germs that colonise aircraft seat backs and tray tables is currently in development.

Recaro Aircraft Seating hopes to launch its new antimicrobial product within the next two years.

Most modern aircraft already use high-tech high efficiency particle arrestant-type filtering systems on their seats according to Recaro ceo Dr Mark Hiller. Such systems are said to be capable of removing 99.97 per cent of airborne particles.

But the risk of infectious disease transmission could be reduced still further by using materials that are even less friendly to bacteria, he claims.

"We have been highly motivated to further evolve our antibacterial technology to provide passengers with added safety and comfort," he said.

The new seat will have a hygienic coating claimed to be able to destroy the germs that proliferate on frequently-touched plastic seat parts such as tray tables and seat backs.

Germfalcon - the company behind the patented sanitising technology - has run medical swabs around aircraft seats to discover the most germ-laden areas.

According to the company, the "germiest" areas are the headrests of the aisle seats which people tend to grab as they walk by.