AmSafe Bridport program manager Rishani Dissanayake shows the secondary protection door in its deployed mode.
A new secondary flight deck protection door from UK company AmSafe Bridport is about to undergo certification testing, the company unveiled at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX).
AmSafe, which specializes in textile-based products such as tie-down straps and 9G barrier nets for cargo, has worked with its supplier to develop a folding textile door that can be either line-fitted to new aircraft or retrofitted. It consists of an aluminum and steel doorframe with the fabric door folding into one vertical panel of the door when not required. The frame is designed to intrude into the aisle as little as possible.
The aim is to meet FAA requirements for installed physical secondary barriers on new aircraft, which is scheduled to become mandatory in August, program manager Rishani Dissanayake said.
The lightweight textile, whose composition is not being revealed but is proprietary to AmSafe Bridport, is designed to be cut-resistant and has clear plastic windows embedded into it to fulfill another FAA requirement that crew members have situational awareness of the area behind the flight deck and forward galley when the secondary door is closed.
Dissanayake said certification trials with the FAA and Transport Canada should take place in June and July of this year, adding that although the new regulation originates in the US, there is a good chance that it will be taken up by regulators in other regions around the world.
The barrier will be customizable for individual carriers, although speed of fitting may depend on individual aircraft.
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