Halifax company teams up with Airbus to protect pilots against lasers

Halifax-based tech startup Metamaterial Technologies Inc. (MTI) announced on Tuesday they have signed a new agreement with aviation powerhouse Airbus.

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The partnership will oversee the validation, certification and commercialization of their new laser protection product called metaAIR. metaAIR is a film composed of copper, silver and plastics that is engineered to protect airline pilots against harmful laser strikes.

“Our film is the most transparent film there is in the market today,” said George Palikaras, MTI founder and CEO.

“The biggest innovation is that we put it not on the head of the pilot, but on the aircraft window.”

MTI signed its first agreement with Airbus in 2014. Since then the product has undergone rigorous testing and development in order to be ready for commercialization.

“We were able to bring the right university partners to prove our concept and have a prototype that was so good, that enabled us to do business on such an important issue.”

According to Transport Canada, laser strike incidents are on the rise. There were close to 600 reported incidents in 2015 compared to just 502 in 2014. The metaAIR film is designed to block out harmful beams.

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“We know from facts and conversations with clients that cockpit illuminations are real, immediate and increasing in frequency, and metaAIR will benefit our customers,” said Pascal Andrei, vice president, chief product security officer at Airbus, in a release.

“We also see an increasing number of possible applications for metaAIR, beyond the commercial aircraft division.”

Pointing a laser beam at an aircraft is a federal offence in Canada. Offenders could face fines up to $100,000, 5 years in jail, or both.