PHOENIX, AZ – AmSafe Inc. announces that the AmSafe Seatbelt Airbag is now installed on more than 9,000 commercial and general aviation aircraft around the world.
The AmSafe Seatbelt Airbag is a self-contained, modular restraint designed to protect occupants from serious head-impact injury and enhance one's ability to exit an aircraft following a survivable accident. Integrated into the lap belt portion of the seatbelt, the AmSafe Seatbelt Airbag inflates in less than 90 milliseconds and, unlike automotive airbags, safely deploys up and away from the occupant, making it a safe restraint for passengers of all ages.
"Demand for the AmSafe Seatbelt Airbag continues to grow. Today, AmSafe Seatbelt Airbags secure passengers in more than 43,000 seats on more than 9,000 commercial and general aviation aircraft around the world. The technology is now standard equipment on 80 percent of new single engine general aviation aircraft, is available as an aftermarket option for many models, and has been adopted by more than 30 commercial airlines in the U.S. and abroad," says Bill Hagan, AmSafe Aviation President. "More importantly, the AmSafe Seatbelt Airbag has already saved lives. We fully expect it will continue to do so in the future as more airlines and operators adopt the system to improve survivability and reduce injuries during taxi, take off, and landing, where the majority of accidents occur."
In service since 2001, the AmSafe Seatbelt Airbag has enabled airlines to comply with a new FAA safety regulation that takes effect this October requiring commercial aircraft seats to withstand a crash impact of up to 16 times the force of gravity. As compliance with this regulation has proven difficult to attain in certain seating environments, airlines have turned to the AmSafe Seatbelt Airbag in order to meet the new standard. By so doing, they have been able to deliver enhanced passenger safety and at the same time avoid the alternative approach to compliance: removal of rows of seats and the associated loss of millions of dollars per aircraft in revenue.
The AmSafe Seatbelt Airbag has also enabled the innovation of lie-flat, pod-style and other premium seating that has become prevalent in first- and business-class cabins on long haul international aircraft. In some instances, the AmSafe Seatbelt Airbag not only makes the use of these innovative new seats possible, but it also helps carriers maximize the number of premium seats on an aircraft while still meeting FAA safety standards.
The AmSafe Seatbelt Airbag is installed in new single engine general aviation aircraft manufactured by Air Tractor, American Legend, Aviat, Cessna Aircraft, Cirrus Design, Cub Crafters, Diamond Aircraft, Hawker Beechcraft, Lancair International, Mooney Airplane Company, Pilatus, Quest Aircraft, SportAir USA, Zenair, and now Piper Aircraft.
A video of the AmSafe Seatbelt Airbag deployed in a simulated crash test can be found here.
