For the past 24 months, Air Covers has been working with Airglaze Aviation, the European & worldwide helicopter transport and shipping specialists, to develop a solution that not only enhances logistics and engineering efficiency but also tackles a significant environmental challenge.
The Problem: Single-Use Plastic in Aircraft Transport
For years, the industry standard for aircraft transport protection has relied on heatshrink plastic (polyolefin)—a material that, while recyclable, is far from a sustainable solution. Recycling is not closed-loop, meaning every cycle requires transport, processing, and leads to material degradation. The reality? Mountains of discarded heatshrink plastic piling up in skips, warehouses, and yard compounds, often never making it to a recycling plant.
Beyond the environmental cost, heatshrinking is time-consuming and resource-heavy. Every transport cycle requires a new heatshrink cover, custom-moulded by specialist operators using flame guns and tooling. Once removed, the cover is discarded—adding unnecessary waste to an already burdened system.
The Solution: Reusable, High-Performance Transport Covers
Air Covers has developed a breakthrough reusable cover system that replaces single-use heatshrink with a durable, stretch-coated textile solution. Designed with both logistics and engineering teams in mind, these covers:
- Eliminate the need for flame guns & specialist operators
- Allow fast, easy access to the cabin or cockpit during transport
- Are reusable—reducing waste & costs over multiple transport cycles
- Fit like a second skin, with a waterproof and airtight rubberised coating
- Reduce shipping prep time—only 3-4 parts for even the largest twin-turbine helicopters
- Can be installed by just two people
Leveraging the world’s largest 3D laser-scan aircraft database, Air Covers can tailor-make protection covers for every helicopter configuration. The result? A perfect fit that shields against road spray, grit, and icing—without the environmental toll.
A More Sustainable Future for Aircraft Transport
This innovation represents a major shift in helicopter shipping logistics—one that reduces waste, cuts down on resource requirements, and increases aircraft availability.
Air Covers and its partners are proud to lead this step toward a more sustainable and efficient approach to aircraft transport protection.
It’s time to rethink how we protect aircraft during transit.
Increase aircraft availability.
Reduce maintenance burden.
Lighten your waste footprint.
