Lufthansa Technik supplies Airbus with its Guideline ColourFit floor-path marking system

At the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2009 Lufthansa Technik has signed a contract with Airbus to supply Guideline® ColourFit, the non-electric, maintenance-free emergency floor-path guidance system. Due to Lufthansa Technik's new "preferred supplier" status Guideline ColourFit photo-luminescent strips will be offered standardly by Airbus to customers for its complete family of passenger jets - from A318 to A380 - and additionally also for newly developed aircraft types.

Based on a photoluminescent principle, Guideline ColourFit shows the way to emergency exits in the event of a failure of the cabin lighting system.

Christian Lierow, Head of Product Guideline at Lufthansa Technik, said: "This contract is the latest highlight in the long lasting cooperation between Airbus and Lufthansa Technik. I am proud to say that we have succeeded to meet the criteria for the strict supplier selection process at Airbus. This is another example of our commitment to designing and manufacturing innovative floor-path marking systems that will ensure our continued industry leadership."

The worldwide success of Guideline ColourFit is based on several features: It is 100 percent failure-proof, has unlimited lifespan and is more luminescent than comparable products. Guideline ColourFit has been granted Supplemental Type Certificates (STC) by the EASA and the FAA and can be installed on all commercial aircraft.

Since Guideline ColourFit is available in various colours, it can be optimally adapted to the color scheme of aircraft carpeting and cabin furnishings. It only requires 15 to 30 minutes of cabin light to charge the system for a 12-hour flight. The material, which stores the light and then disperses it gradually, is non-radio-active, has low flammability and is entirely non-toxic. The light-storing process can be repeated infinitely. Other than routine cleaning, no maintenance is required.

The Guideline product range comprises not only floor path marking systems but also exit signs. The exit signs work like the floor markings with photoluminescence. Unlike as the formerly used tritium signs they are recyclable, non-toxic and eco-friendly to dispose.