HAECO: Turning down the tap for aircraft washing

Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company (HAECO) now offers a dry wash service for aircraft at HKIA’s maintenance and West Cargo aprons. The eco-friendly alternative is being offered in addition to the traditional aircraft exterior ‘wet wash’ after receiving the approval from the Airport Authority (AA) in mid-2019. Dry wash involves applying a liquid cleaning product to the aircraft’s external surface. The cleaning product is more effective at removing insects, oil stains and other dirt from the aircraft’s exterior. After washing, a fine protective film is formed on the aircraft enabling it to retain a longer shine.

The dry wash technique uses 90% less water than conventional wet washing methods that use highly pressurised water, while the biodegradable, non-toxic cleaning product produces less chemical effluents. For airlines, other positives of dry wash include less grounding time as the aircraft can request a partial wash.