UPS to become first global carrier to add EVAS safety system

On 3 September last year, a UPS 747-400 cargo plane took off from Dubai for Cologne, Germany, when the pilot made a request to return to the airport as there was a fire onboard the aircraft.

Smoke from the fire filled the cockpit to the extent that the pilot could not see the controls. Declaring an emergency, the pilot could not complete an attempted landing at a nearby Emirati air force base and he and the first officer were killed.

Mitch Nichols, UPS Airlines president said: "Safety ownership is a core value at UPS. We have long been committed to protecting our employees, aircraft and customers' shipments and this new equipment will add yet another layer of safety.

Lauding the level of cooperation between union and company, Captain Bob Brown, IPA and Safety Task Force member said:"Since forming the safety task force last fall (autumn), the IPA and UPS have mobilised quickly to research and recommend fire safety enhancements. EVAS is an important step forward."

In the event of smoke in the cockpit, EVAS helps maintain a pilot's critical field of vision by displacing the smoke with a transparent Inflatable Vision Unit (IVU).

Bertil Werjefelt, the president of Vision Safe, said: "EVAS allows pilots to see their flight path, vital instruments and perform the key tasks of flying in dense-smoke situations. It's a real safety enhancement and we're very pleased to be working with UPS Airlines."

Installation is expected to begin with UPS's B-767 fleet, after which the equipment will be added to the primary over-water aircraft, the B-747-400 and MD-11. Full fleet equipage will be a multi-year process as the company works to obtain proper certifications and cycle aircraft through modification.

UPS and the IPA will continue their joint safety and fire mitigation efforts, evaluating current and emerging types of technology and equipment.