Satair Group and Metamaterial Technologies sign MoU to bring innovative laser strike protection to civil aviation market

Airbus wholly-owned subsidiary, Satair Group and Metamaterial Technologies and its optical filters division Lamda Guard of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will lead to an exclusive multi-million dollar global distribution agreement to bring MTI’s laser protection product metaAIRTM to the civil aviation market. metaAIR is nanofabricated as a flexible metamaterial optical filter which can be applied to any transparent surface – such as the inner surface of an aircraft’s cockpit windscreen – to control unwanted light sources while not interfering with visibility. The filter deflects harmful laser beams aimed at aircraft windscreens even at high power levels and from wide angles preventing the beam from reaching the inside of the aircraft cockpit. In addition to laser protection at night metaAIR may also feature new types of optical protections such as Ultraviolet ray protection for daytime operation at cruising altitudes, answering a long-established concern for many flight crews. Laser strikes on commercial aircraft have risen over the years and laser pointers are increasing in power and decreasing in price. Lasers can distract and even harm pilots during critical phases of flight and can cause temporary visual impairment. Over 2000 laser incidents were recorded in the USA in the first four months alone of 2017 according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In 2015 there were over 10,000 laser incidents reported to the FAA, the UK Civil Aviation Authority and Transport Canada.