Aircraft door safety is of course vital but even if you’ve stepped onto many flights before, you may not realise that the weight of bags, fuel and cargo results in the compression of the suspension and the aircraft, and hence the door, dropping down slightly. 

This can cause problems for ground crews as the aircraft door can come into contact with jetways, PRM machines like PaxLift or catering trucks.

As a result, we added a pressure sensor to raise the alarm, both visually and audibly if the plane settles on the suspension.

Unlike other ambulifts, PaxLift is a purpose-built passenger carrier, not an adapted commercial vehicle, and operates without chains or stabilizers. Adjustments, moving laterally or vertically are therefore easy to carry out, with superb stability, visibility and all-round cameras.

As an added safety benefit, PaxLift also includes adjustable side protection, meaning any door that opens wider or is off-centre at approach, can be fully catered for, and without undermining the safety of the operator as they can still access the door from behind the main gate.

The new system comprises six sensors which control the approach to the aircraft, and stops the PaxLift once it reaches a safe position. An automatic swivelling system with +/-14 degrees of movement has been integrated into the platform, and no longer needs to touch the aircraft to operate. Crucially, the system is designed to allow the opening of all the aircraft doors, without opening the front safety gate, so assuring maximum safety for all PaxLift operators.

Klaus Pirpamer, managing director of PaxLift, comments: “Safety is hugely important and we’re happy to have a system that provides additional aircraft door safety for customers. There have been ambulifts on the market, and there remain today, versions that are difficult to adjust when require the front gate to open when the side bumpers are still not yet in position, so a risk of falling remains. PaxLift eliminates that risk.”

For full details of the safety show and our latest additions see our demonstration video below…