Ensure Safe Air Travel With Aerosol Insecticide Spray

In 2020, there were an estimated 277 million passengers in Europe who travelled by air, according to Eurostat. In order to get passengers to their destinations safely and on-time, there are many processes taking place behind the scenes.

One of the products contributing to a passenger’s safe journey is an aerosol aircraft insecticide spray, such as PSA’s Non-Flammable Aircraft Insecticide Phenothrin (NFAI-Phenothrin) powered by Honeywell’s Solstice® Propellant.

With operations in Europe, PSA (Produits Sanitaires Aeronefs) is part of the Callington Group, a global leading chemical manufacturer for the aviation industry, with decades of experience and expertise. Their NFAI-Phenothrin insecticide spray is not only helping the aviation industry meet safety standards and regulations, but through the use of Solstice® Propellant, Callington is also minimizing its product’s impact on the environment.

What are aircraft insecticides and how do they help?

Aircraft insecticides serve the purpose of disinsection of an aircraft’s cabin or cargo area. They are found in the form of aerosol sprays to ensure a convenient and even application. When used according to their label’s instructions, they help airlines prevent the spread of insects that may be vectors of transmission of diseases.

Most countries require the use of aircraft insecticides depending on a flight’s origin or destination. Airlines may use the insecticide spray before passengers board the aircraft. On other occasions and based on certain countries’ requirements, they may be sprayed with passengers on-board. The aerosol insecticide sprays used are expected to meet certain health-related regulations and recommendations.

PSA’s NFAI-Phenothrin aerosol can aid the aviation industry by enabling them to minimize the risk of diseases spreading that may harm public health and even agriculture industries. In accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Health Regulations (IHR) and other related national regulations, NFAI-Phenothrin helps prevent the spread of insects who may be carriers of diseases such as malaria, dengue, yellow fever, zika or chikungunya.

Additional key parameters set by the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) for the safety of on-board aircrafts require aircraft insecticides to be non-flammable. PSA’s NFAI-Phenothrin is able to meet those parameters through the use of Solstice® Propellant, which enables Callington’s formulations to achieve nonflammability based on ASTM E681 and ISO 10156 flammability testing.
 

How can aerosol aircraft insecticides help minimize the impact on the environment?

Certain aircraft insecticide sprays may feature substances that have a high-global-warming-potential (GWP) such as hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) based propellants.

High GWP substances are known to contribute to carbon emissions. As a result, there are regulations across the globe that are phasing down their use and moving the industry toward use of lower GWP alternatives.

Solstice® Propellant is a near drop-in replacement for HFC-134a (a commonly used HFC-based propellant in aerosol aircraft insecticide sprays). It features an ultra-low GWP of less than 1 that not only serves as a climate-friendly alternative, but also allows chemical aerosol manufacturers such as the Callington Group to meet regulations for sale of product in the EU market, and the requirements of the EU No. 517/2014.
 

Why does this matter?

Evolving regulations around the globe that are focused on the environment are leading manufacturers such as Callington to look for low-GWP propellant alternatives. The alternatives must be able to comply with aviation and safety regulations while still allowing manufacturers to meet their own product goals and applications.

When it comes to NFAI-Phenothrin, Solstice® Propellant has allowed the Callington Group to meet aviation, safety and environmental regulations while ensuring that their own product goals and commitments are also met.

As part of Honeywell’s Solstice® portfolio, not only does Solstice® Propellant aid chemical aviation manufacturers, but it also allows other manufacturers across various industries to meet their formulation goals.

Contact us to learn how Solstice® Propellant and other Solstice offerings can help you meet your product’s performance and environmental goals.