Bug-free flight

Commercial aircraft recirculate cabin air, but diseases can spread from one
passenger to the rest. Filters can clog, and if they rupture they release a
concentrated burst of microorganisms into the cabin. Now AEA Technology of
Harwell, Oxfordshire, wants aircraft (GB 2 341 094) to recirculate the air
through a plasma device or a microwave reactor. The idea is that the plasma
kills any bacteria or fungi in the air, removing the risk of bugs recirculating
or building up in a filter.