A COUNTY Durham furnace has helped improve passenger safety in aeroplane cabins.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) facility in Darlington was used to develop a new set of regulations for aircraft insulation.

The research, jointly supported by the US Federal Aviation Administration and the French Direction Gnrale de l'Aviation Civile proved that insulation installed to maintain comfortable temperature and noise levels in the aircraft cabin acts as an effective safety barrier in the event of fire breaking out on the outside of an aeroplane.

As insulation is usually located in passenger or cargo compartments, it can prevent fire from immediately burning through to the cabin and give passengers several extra minutes to evacuate.

As a result of the research in the furnace facility, which replicated post crash fires, aviation regulators are introducing changes to safety regulations that will require improved insulation materials and fixings to be used when building new aircraft.

Graham Greene, research project manager at the CAA, said: "I am delighted the hard work of the CAA and our regulatory partners has resulted in these new rules.

"We believe the modified insulation will enhance onboard passenger safety."