When procuring PVC aircraft flooring as flooring, there are many technical, regulatory, operational and economic factors to consider. The requirements are more stringent than for terrestrial applications due to safety, weight, durability, and certification demands. Below is a checklist of things you should evaluate, and some elaboration on each.

Regulatory & Certification Requirements

Fire / Flammability Standards: Aircraft interiors must meet aviation‐industry fire safety standards (e.g. FAR 25.853 in the U.S., EASA CS-25, or equivalent). The flooring must not produce excessive flame or hazardous smoke or toxic gases.

Smoke & Toxicity: Not just flame resistance, but how it burns: smoke density, toxicity of combustion products (esp. hydrogen chloride, etc.)

Slip Resistance: Surfaces, especially in wet or lavatory areas, must have adequate slip resistance even when wet or with liquids.

Dimensional Stability: Under temperature/humidity extremes (ground, altitude, pressurization, etc.), the material must not deform, warp, shrink, or expand in a way that causes problems.

Certification & Traceability: Material batches and production must be traceable; supplier should have appropriate ISO or aviation-specific quality systems. Certificates of conformity, material safety data sheets, etc., must be available.

Mechanical & Physical Properties

Thickness & Weight: Lighter material reduces fuel cost; thickness must balance durability vs weight. The substrate and support structures must be compatible.

Wear Resistance: High foot traffic (passengers boarding, trolleys, etc.), dragging of cart wheels, maintenance traffic—flooring must resist abrasion, scuffing, indentations.

Impact Resistance: Must resist impacts from dropped items, stowed luggage, etc.

Compression & Load Bearing: Must handle localized loads (e.g. from service carts, seat legs, etc.).

Flexibility / Resilience: The ability to absorb vibration, flex under cabin flexing, and not crack or delaminate.

Thermal & Environmental Performance

Temperature extremes: Aircraft may experience very low or high ambient temperatures; material should remain stable across the full operating range.

Humidity: Cabin and landing conditions vary; moisture resistance is important to prevent degradation.

Acoustic Properties

How well the flooring helps reduce noise/vibration from footsteps, carts, cabin equipment. A softer or multi-layerized structure may help. Cabin comfort is important.

Weight & Fuel Efficiency

Every gram matters in aircraft. The flooring system should be as light as possible, without compromising durability and safety.

Consider the overall trade-off: lighter materials may cost more; always quantify life-cycle cost vs fuel savings vs maintenance.

Life Cycle Costs

Initial cost vs maintenance cost vs replacement intervals.

Durability under actual usage patterns (not just lab tests).

Downtime costs: if installation or repair requires long downtime, that is expensive.

Availability of spare parts / matching materials for repairs.

Supplier Capabilities & Reliability

Quality control (ISO 9001, aviation supplier standards)

Testing facilities to prove compliance with fire, flame, smoke, etc.

Lead times, availability of stock, ability to supply spares or replacements.

Environmental & Health Considerations

VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), emissions inside cabin.

Presence or absence of harmful plasticizers, heavy metals, etc.

At end of life: recyclability, disposal.

Possibly certifications or declarations: environmental product declarations, health safety (e.g. Low-VOC, low chemical migration).

Operational Use Cases / Zones

Different parts of the aircraft have different demands: entrance, galley, lavatory, aisle, storage, cargo hold. Each zone may need different properties (e.g. more slip resistance in wet zones; more durability in galley/cargo; lighter weight in cabin).

For example, emergency exits or stairs might need higher durability or specific tread pattern.

Please note the following points when comparing products: