Good news for germophobes: Boeing wants to bring self-cleaning toilets to its planes

Boeing Co. has developed a new product to tackle a fundamental fear for flying germophobes: airliner lavatories that turn into virtual petri dishes during long-range trips.

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The U.S. planemaker says its engineers and designers have created self-cleaning toilets which use ultraviolet light to kill 99.99 per cent of germs, disinfecting all surfaces after every use within just three seconds. Boeing’s rival, Airbus Group SE, is focusing on a similar concept.

“We’re trying to alleviate the anxiety we all face when using a restroom that will get a good work out during a flight,” Jeanne Yu, director of environmental performance for Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, said inside a statement.

The concept provides a new twist around the old aviator saying, “Whether it ain’t Boeing, I ain’t going,” aviation consultant Robert Mann said by e-mail. “Boeing should ground-test these in big- city public facilities to build up some street cred,” he explained.

Airbus is working on its own improvements for jetliner bathrooms, according to Ingo Wuggetzer, the European company’s v . p . of promoting.

In-Flight Lav

“Airbus is developing ‘touchless’ technologies for the future lavs, and we’ll also include ‘anti-bacterial’ surfaces as an upcoming lav feature,” Wuggetzer said. “Moreover, as well as improving lav hygiene, the ambiance and overall freshness will be noticeably enhanced. So, overall, Airbus is set to significantly raise the bar around the passengers’ experience with using an in-flight lav.”

Boeing’s lavatory prototype uses a type of ultraviolet light, different from the rays in tanning beds, that doesn’t harm humans. Activated only when the airliner toilet isn’t in use, the lights flood touch surfaces such as the bathroom . seat, sink and counter top.

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Eliminating Odours

The Chicago-based company has filed a patent for the concept, which it says can minimize the development and potential transmission of micro-organisms. The sanitizing even helps rid a lavatory of odours.

Better yet, it would be touchless. The cleaning system would lift and shut the bathroom . seat alone so that all surfaces are subjected throughout the cleaning cycle, based on Boeing. Other perks for all those concerned about germs: hands-free faucet, soap dispense, trash flap, lid and hand dryer. The planemaker can also be studying a hands-free door latch and vacuum vent system for floor spillage.



Maintenance Savings

The concept is really a finalist for a Crystal Cabin Award that’ll be announced at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany on April 5.

The potential benefits aren’t just within the bathroom. The self-cleaning concept may also help airlines save money on costly repairs, Mann said.

Toilets “are notoriously difficult to keep maintained to high standards, which shows up as odors that can’t be controlled and finally, corrosion to structures adjoining the lav module,” for example floor beams and fuselage, Mann said. “It really will be a maintenance financial savings, too.”

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