First European GA Manufacturer To Offer System

AmSafe Aviation, the world's leading provider of seatbelts and inflatable restraints, announced Monday that Diamond Aircraft will join the growing list of manufacturers that install AmSafe Aviation Inflatable Restraints (AAIR) by making the belts standard equipment for the pilot and copilot on board its new DA40 Diamond Star and DA42 Twin Star aircraft.

The AAIR -- an airbag designed, engineered, tested and certified exclusively for aviation application -- will be optional equipment on the rear seats of these aircraft.

"Partnering with Diamond Aircraft provides AmSafe with another new segment in our ever-growing business aviation network," said Bill Hagan, president of AmSafe Aviation. "Diamond Aircraft's decision to install the AAIR as standard equipment is significant in that Diamond represents the first general aviation manufacturer in Europe to install the AAIR system."

The AAIR system includes an airbag housed within the seatbelt and is designed specifically to protect passengers and crew members from serious head injuries which can occur during an otherwise survivable aircraft accident. Upon crash detection, the airbag deploys up and away from the passenger to prevent head and neck injuries, thus greatly enhancing the likelihood that an occupant can quickly and safely exit the aircraft.

The protection afforded by the AAIR system is best understood in the context of National Transportation Safety Board statistics which state that not only do the vast majority of aircraft crashes involve general aviation aircraft, but that approximately 75 percent of these incidents are survivable.

"While Diamond's active safety features have rewarded us with the lowest accident rate of any general aviation manufacturer, accidents can and unfortunately do happen," said Peter Maurer, president of Diamond Aircraft. "AmSafe's AAIR system, in conjunction with our other passive safety features, further helps to minimize the possibility of injury in a Diamond product."

To date, including installations on commercial jetliners, more than 10,000 AAIR systems have been shipped and installed on new general aviation aircraft, including those manufactured by industry leaders such as Cessna, Cirrus, Aviat, Mooney and Zenair.

With Diamond as AmSafe's newest addition to an expanding roster of customers, the AAIR system is now standard equipment on 75 percent of all new single-engine aircraft.

FMI: www.amsafe.com, www.diamondair.com