15 December 2009

American Eagle Airlines Adopts Clean Technology With PreKote

American Eagle Airlines, the regional affiliate of American Airlines, continues to extend its company-wide commitment to environmental sustainability by switching to innovative clean technology when repainting its aircraft.

American Eagle has adopted Pantheon Enterprises' non-toxic surface pretreatment, PreKote, to prep all of its planes for painting. PreKote, which promotes paint adhesion and prevents corrosion, is an environment-friendly alternative to hexavalent chromium. It also saves money in total application.

"Preparing aircraft for paint has traditionally been a labor-intensive process. We wanted to replace it with something that was both environmentally friendly and effective," said Steve Rodgers, Director - Base and Contract Maintenance for American Eagle. "By using PreKote, we have a big advantage in safety for the environment and employees. It also requires fewer steps to get the planes ready for repainting, which increases efficiency and saves us money."

PreKote also reduces water usage by up to two thirds and significantly decreases wastewater treatment. Users of PreKote have been recognised by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Design for the Environment program.

"The forward-thinking leaders at American Eagle Airlines are setting new standards in aerospace painting and environmental stewardship," said Pantheon Chemical CEO Laura Roberts. "Their decision to use PreKote will help improve not only the company's bottom line but also sustainability of the aerospace industry."

PreKote is available in Europe from official distributor PSG (see under Surface Technology Products on this site).