Interior design factors influencing fire disaster risk in domestic aircraft in Kenya

Abstract

In-flight fire is a significant concern for aviation safety, and the interior design of aircraft such as size, construction materials, and seating layouts affect the fire spread and evacuation performance. The interior design vulnerabilities of domestic aviation in Kenya have progressed at an impressive rate. This study assessed the interior design factors influencing fire disaster risk in domestic aircraft in Kenya. It was guided by the Swiss Cheese Model of Accident Causation. The study was conducted at the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) with a focus on airports in Kenya handling domestic air transport. The target population included aeronautical engineers, Airport Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) personnel, and KCAA inspectors, totaling 160 individuals. Sample size was determined using the help of Krejcie and Morgan sampling table. The airports sampled were Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Wilson Airport, Moi International Airport, Kisumu International Airport and Eldoret International Airport. Wajir International Airport was excluded after being used for the pilot survey. The sample was 114 participants who were distributed proportionately. The study design used was descriptive and evaluative. Data collection was based on both structured questionnaires with 5-point Likert scale items and interview guides. Data was analyzed quantitatively using the IBM SPSS Statistics version 27.0 with the use of the descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, mean, and standard deviation) and the inferential statistics (Pearson correlation coefficients). Qualitative data was analyzed using the theme and reported verbatim. The study found that there were high perceptions of design influences with 54.6% (n=59) of respondents perceiving that aircraft size had a large or very large impact on emergency exit availability (M=3.54); 72.8% (n=67) believing that materials were very effective in preventing fire propagation (M=3.96); and 61.4% (n=62) acknowledging that materials contributed to the fire risk (M=3.01). There was mixed opinion regarding seating arrangements with 32.7% (n=33) indicating they were very influential to ease of evacuation (M=2.90). Pearson correlation analyses, however, showed that the interior design factors were weak and nonsignificant in predicting fire disaster risk (rs=.015 to .149, ps>.05), indicating that alone they are not good linear predictors of fire risk. Analysis of the ranking showed that perceptions of material fire resistance (M=3.96) and aircraft size–exit availability linkages (M=3.54) were more important than seating configuration effects. This study concludes that aviation professionals believe the most critical design considerations for fire safety are construction materials and the size of aircraft, but there is ambivalence about construction materials for aging fleets. This study recommends that given the results, KCAA require regular testing of the flammability of aircraft cabin materials for aircraft in domestic services in Kenya, including special focus on aftermarket changes and aging aircraft.