- DASH Aero
- APU cleaning service
Service ATA 49
APU plenum and compartment cleaning for the A320 family
A scheduled clean of the part of the APU installation that collects oil, hydraulic fluid and grime, done with a contained steam process wherever the aircraft is parked.
DASH Aero cleans the APU air inlet plenum, the intake duct and the APU compartment on Airbus A320 family aircraft. The work is done with steam and hot water inside a sealed curtain and basin, so all of the runoff is captured. It is planned into ground time the aircraft already has, rather than taking it out of service.
Scope
What a DASH Aero clean covers.
Inlet plenum
Where outside air gathers before it enters the APU. Residue here is in the air path to the packs.
Air intake duct
The duct that carries outside air from the intake flap to the plenum.
Compartment surfaces
Walls, frames and fittings, where oil and hydraulic fluid settle over time.
Access doors
The inside faces of both doors, which also anchor the containment curtain.
Capture and disposal
Every drop of runoff collected and disposed of in accordance with local regulations.
A record of the job
Each cleaning is documented under our ISO 9001:2015 quality management system.
Why operators schedule it
Three problems, one part of the aircraft.
Odor reports on the ground
Airbus identifies oil, hydraulic fluid, de-icing fluid and exhaust reaching the APU inlet as routes for odors into the cabin. A clean plenum has no residue sitting in that air path.
The evidencePlanned, not reactive
The manual's cleaning steps are written as troubleshooting, started after a report. A scheduled clean is planned into existing ground time, so nobody pulls an aircraft at short notice.
How it worksNothing on the ramp
Wash water from an APU compartment carries oil and grease. The DASH process captures all of it, so the work can be done where rinsing onto the ramp would never be allowed.
Where the water goesContext
Some fleets already clean the intake on a clock.
FAA Airworthiness Directive 2017-14-11, based on EASA AD 2016-0176, applies to A318, A319, A320 and A321 aircraft fitted with certain Honeywell 131-9A APU electronic control boxes. Until the corrective change is embodied, it requires an inspection of the APU air inlet plenum and a cleaning of the APU air intake in line with Airbus Service Bulletin A320-49-1068, at intervals of no more than 2,400 flight hours.
The directive addresses a fire risk, not cabin air. It is a useful reminder that the plenum collects enough dirt, oil and combustible residue for a regulator to put it on a schedule.
This is a summary for context, not a compliance statement. Check applicability for your aircraft against the directive itself, published in the Federal Register on July 17, 2017.
Where and when
Built around your ground time.
The equipment comes to the aircraft, on the ramp, at the gate or in a hangar, and sets up under the tail. Tell us your bases and how your aircraft are scheduled, and we will tell you how a cleaning program fits.
FAQ
Questions operators ask
What exactly does DASH Aero clean?
The APU air inlet plenum, the air intake duct that feeds it, and the surfaces of the APU compartment around the unit: walls, frames, fittings and the inside faces of the access doors.
Does the aircraft have to come out of service?
No. The cleaning is planned into ground time the aircraft already has, on the ramp, at the gate or in a hangar. That is the point of the method.
Where does the dirty water go?
Into a collection basin under a sealed curtain, then to storage, then disposed of in accordance with local regulations. None of it reaches the ramp or a storm drain.
Is this the same as an APU compressor wash?
No. A compressor or gas path wash cleans inside the APU. DASH Aero cleans the plenum and the compartment around it: the air path into the APU and the space where leaked fluids collect.
Does cleaning fix an oil or hydraulic leak?
No, and it is not meant to. Airbus puts finding and fixing the source first. Cleaning removes the residue that has already collected, so it is not there to be carried into the bleed air once the source is fixed.
Does it replace a task in our maintenance program?
No. It does not replace anything in your approved maintenance program. We work with your engineering team on how it fits alongside the tasks you already perform.
Which aircraft do you work on?
Airbus A320 family aircraft. Tell us your fleet and APU type and we will confirm the details for your aircraft.
Is DASH Aero certified?
Yes. DASH Aero holds ISO 9001:2015 certification from DEKRA Certification, certificate 112711.00, for the provision of APU compartment steam cleaning services for operators of Airbus airliners.
Talk to the people who designed the process.
Tell us your fleet, your bases and what prompted the question. The first conversation is with someone who has done this work on the ramp, not with a sales team.
Start the conversation