/themes/custom/particle/dist/app-drupal/assets/awn-logo.svg
Skip to main content
  • Market Sector
    • Aerospace
    • Air Transport
    • MRO
    • Defense and Space
    • Business Aviation
  • Markets
    • Aerospace
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Connected Aerospace
      • Emerging Technologies
      • Manufacturing & Supply Chain
      • Unmanned & Urban Aviation
      • Commercial Space
      • Program Management
    • Air Transport
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Interiors & Connectivity
      • Airports & Routes
      • Airlines & Lessors
      • Safety, Ops & Regulation
      • Maintenance & Training
    • MRO
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Interiors & Connectivity
      • Emerging Technologies
      • Supply Chain
      • Safety, Ops & Regulation
      • Workforce & Training
    • Defense and Space
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Sensors & Electronic Warfare
      • Missile Defense & Weapons
      • Supply Chain
      • Budget, Policy & Operations
      • Space
    • Business Aviation
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Interiors & Connectivity
      • Airports, FBOs & Suppliers
      • Flight Deck
      • Safety, Ops & Regulation
      • Maintenance & Training
  • Marketplace
  • Services
    • Services
      • Advertising
      • Marketing Services
      • Fleet, Data & APIs
      • Research & Consulting
      • Network and Route Planning
      • Marketplace
  • Store
    • Market Sector

      • Aerospace
      • Air Transport
      • MRO
      • Defense and Space
      • Business Aviation
    • Type View All Products
      • Intelligence Bundles
        • AWIN - Premium
        • AWIN - Aerospace and Defense
        • AWIN - Business Aviation
        • AWIN - Commercial Aviation
      • Market Briefings
        • Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
        • Aviation Daily
        • SpeedNews
        • The Weekly of Business Aviation
      • Directories
        • Air Charter Guide
        • Aviation Week Marketplace
        • Route Exchange
        • The Engine Yearbook
      • Data Services
        • AC-U-KWIK
        • Aircraft Bluebook
        • Airportdata.com
        • Airport Strategy and Marketing (ASM)
        • CAPA – Centre for Aviation
        • Fleet Discovery Civil
        • Fleet Discovery Military
        • Fleet & MRO Forecast
        • MRO Prospector
      • Publications
        • Air Transport World
        • Aviation Week & Space Technology
        • Aviation Week & Space Technology - Inside MRO
        • Business & Commercial Aviation
        • CAPA - Airline Leader
        • Routes magazine
        • ShowNews
      • Resources
        • Downloadable Reports
  • Events
    • Events View All Events
      • MRO
        • MRO Americas
        • MRO Asia
        • MRO Baltics, Eastern Europe and Russia (BEER)
        • MRO Europe
        • MRO Latin America
        • MRO Middle East
        • MRO Transatlantic
        • Military Aviation Logistics and Maintenance Symposium (MALMS)
      • Commercial Aviation
        • Aero-Engines Americas
        • Aero-Engines Asia
        • Aero-Engines Europe
        • Commercial Aviation Industry Suppliers Conference (ASC)
        • Commercial Aviation Industry Suppliers Conference - Europe (ACE)
        • Engine Leasing, Trading & Finance
      • Aerospace and Defense
        • A&D Mergers and Acquisitions Conference (ADMA)
        • Aerospace Manufacturing Conference (AMC)
        • Aerospace Raw Materials & Manufacturers Supply Chain Conference (RMC)
        • DefenseChain Conference (DCPE)
      • Air Transport
        • CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit
        • CAPA Latin America Aviation & LCCs Summit
        • CAPA Live
        • Routes Americas 2021
        • Routes Asia 2021
        • Routes Europe 2021
        • Routes Reconnected
        • TakeOff North America 2020
        • World Aviation Outlook Summit 2020
        • World Routes 2021
      • Business Aviation
        • Business Aviation Week 2020
        • Business & General Aviation Conference (BGA)
      • Awards
        • 20 Twenties
        • Aviation Week Laureates Awards
        • Program Excellence Awards and Banquet
    • Webinars
      • Upcoming Webinars
  • About
    • About Aviation Week Network
      • Our Story
      • Content and Data Team
      • Aviation Week & Space Technology 100-Year
    • Contact Us
      • Subscriber Services
      • Advertising, Marketing Services & List Rentals
      • Content Sales
      • Events
      • PR & Communications
      • Content Licensing and Reprints
      • FAQ
  • Log In
  • Register
  • My Account
    • Profile
    • Sign Out
  • AWIN Access
  • My cart
  1. Back to MRO

Share

Walk This Way: 10 Airplane Flooring Facts

Old Flooring Can Be Recycled

Before they purchase new flooring, airlines have to figure out what to do with the old material. Mohawk Group, flooring specialists that work in a multiple of industries, estimates 6 billion lb. of carpet waste goes into landfills each year. The company created a program, ReCover, that arranges for containers and shipping to reclamation centers for a fee.

Materials Matter

The most common material for carpet is wool, but there are blends and new materials that offer unique proprieties. Mohawk Group features flooring made out of Skylon, a woven nylon carpet hybrid. Floorings and upholstery need to meet specific FAA requirements regarding flammability, smoke and toxicity. Deaths occur from a crash not just because of impact, but also because of the smoke or toxins released when materials burn. Airbus and Boeing have additional standards for fire and flammability testing flooring manufacturers should meet.

Details Come First

SkyPaxxx Interior Repairs exclusively distributes Sky-Tiles, manufactured by Interface, a 100% recyclable carpet option that offers installation without removing seats, selective replacement and drop-in retrofits. To start the process, SkyPaxxx asks for a customer's current carpet layout and a sample, which is used to create a "Sky-Tiles" map. A first run of the carpet can take six to eight weeks, but if the customer chooses something in stock, the material can be sent in two weeks.

Not Always a DIY Project

This carpet is being fitted on an Air Nostrum ATR 42. Typically, airlines or MROs install carpets themselves. For specific products, training or crews can be provided by the manufacturer or distributor. Installation time depends on the aircraft size and if it is a complete installation or section replacement.

Installation Can Be Quick

This project for new carpet was completed on an Omni Air Boeing 767. SkyPaxxx once completed a project for a Boeing 737-700 in four man-hours, but Rick Lockhart, president of SkyPaxx, says a Boeing 737-800 takes, in general, around eight man-hours for a carpet installation. 

Correct Cleaning Is Essential

Lockhart also says, "Most airlines historically replace the carpet every six to 12 months, and the rest of the set every C check. Being able to keep carpet installed in the aisle for 18 months and the rest of the aircraft two C check cycles represents huge savings in manpower, aircraft downtime, raw material purchasing, cutting and serging costs, and administrative expenses." Carpet or flooring comes with cleaning and replacement recommendations from the manufacturer. Using the wrong cleaning solution can warp and shrink the carpet.

Lighting Needs Adequate Power

During certain checks, sometimes only a portion of the carpet needs to be replaced. For example, the carpet between the lighted safety walkway can be changed independently of the rest of the carpet. Pictured here is STG Aerospace saf-Tglo, a photolumniscent walkway that doesn't require batteries or traditional lights. Saf-Tglo is installed by cutting the material to length, then applying using the same double-sided tape used in carpets. The photolumniscent technology comes in up to 300 different colors, and can also be custom created to match an aircraft's branded interior pattern.

Illuminated Flooring Has Special Applications

In July, Orbis, the non-profit organization that fights blindness, installed STG Aerospace saf-Tglo in its Flying Eye Hospital. The MD-10-30CF houses a fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital that trains and treats patients internationally.

Improper Lighting Can Ground an Aircraft

An airline operator may want to replace electrical systems that light the flooring with photoluminscent options to reduce maintenance and avoid complications. If an aircraft's exit signs and walkways are not lit properly, the flight can be grounded until the issue is resolved.

Upkeep Is a Daily Task

STG Aerospace also provides supplemental type certificates for FAA- and European Aviation Safety Agency-approved aircraft types. Once installed, the cabin lights need to be set to bright to perform a system charge daily. This charge time can change, depending on the aircraft type.

Previous
Next

This in-depth look at aircraft flooring and carpet will change the way you view walking down the aisle—on your next flight, that is. See the materials, processes, products and details that go into creating the ground you walk on in the sky. Have additional questions?

Email jen.deglmann@aviationweek.com, and I'll see what's under the rug for you.

Follow us on

Markets

  • Aerospace
  • Air Transport
  • MRO
  • Defense and Space
  • Business Aviation

Products

  • AWIN Intelligence Bundles
  • Market Briefings
  • Publications
  • Data Services
  • Directories
  • Resources

Contact Us

  • Subscriber Services
  • Advertising, Marketing Services & List Rentals
  • Content Sales
  • Events
  • PR & Communications
  • Content Licensing and Reprints
  • FAQ

Other Resources

  • Aviation Week Marketplace
  • Knowledge Center
  • Newsletters
  • ShowNews
Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved. Informa Markets, a trading division of Informa PLC.
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use