Aircraft washing – are robots beating manual work?

It is a clash of systems. One side is represented by the Cyprus-based Avia Solutions Group and its semi-automatic washing robot, Nordic Dino. A completely different approach is taken by Thoms Aviation from the Netherlands, which offers exterior aircraft cleaning done by hand. Both concepts have their advantages and disadvantages. It is still completely open as to who will win this race of concepts in the end. However, presumably the market is large enough for both systems to succeed.

Clean is beautiful
Whereas, four decades ago, aircraft were washed only twice a year, that has increased to quarterly cleaning cycles, nowadays. This is required because oil and grease splashes, which are released when the landing gear is extended, lead to smudgy films and dark layers on the underside of the fuselage of an aircraft. Once freed from this dirt crust, a jetliner consumes up to 5% less fuel due to lower air resistance. Therefore, regular washing reduces fuel costs, leads to less greenhouse gas emissions, and contributes to environmental protection, Thomas de Boer, owner of Thoms Aviation, notes.
There is also a psychological aspect, especially in the case of passenger aircraft: dirty jetliners tend to evoke negative associations in passengers. If the airline is already cutting back on cleanliness, what about the safety and security regimes? This question immediately arises in the minds of some travelers when boarding a “dirty” plane. In any case, shabby exteriors do not enhance the reputation of a carrier. The same is true, although to a lesser degree, for scruffy-looking freighters, too.

Spatial requirements
When compared to cleaning aircraft by semi-automatic robotic machines, Mr. de Boer sees some significant advantages in his company's preferred traditional hand-washing method: “The Nordic Dino is a very expensive asset, not easy to operate. It uses large amounts of water and detergents, which is an increasing problem when it comes to environmental protection. It needs a hangar large enough to accommodate it, is very expensive to operate and very sensitive, too, due to its many sensors that are required to prevent an aircraft from being damaged while being washed and brushed,” Thomas de Boer summarizes. Another limiting factor is that it needs a lot of space when operating within an aircraft hangar or MRO facility, which is a prerequisite given harsh weather conditions.

Conflicting decisions
So, is it worth buying the device? Only if the big machine is used at an airport where a home carrier has based large parts of its fleet, Thomas de Boer believes. In that case, regular orders and high operating times are ensured. If not, the traditional hand washing solution to de-pollute a jetliner and render it squeaky clean and shiny again, might be the cheaper, more flexible, and convenient decision.

Heiner Siegmund


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