Airline Breathing Apparatus
Airline breathing apparatus feeds the wearer continuously through a hose from a compressor or manifold instead of a cylinder on the back, trading the self-contained set's mobility for a supply that does not run out after thirty minutes.
What to check on an Airline Breathing Apparatus.
12 models from Interspiro in Airline Breathing Apparatus. Below: the full model list.
What sets airline apparatus apart
Airline breathing apparatus supplies air continuously through an umbilical hose connected to a fixed compressor, an air manifold, or a bank of cascade cylinders, rather than from a cylinder carried on the wearer's back as with self-contained breathing apparatus. The trade-off is direct: airline sets are not limited by the roughly thirty minutes of a standard self-contained cylinder, but the wearer is tethered to the hose and depends entirely on that one line staying intact and the supply staying clean, so every airline set carries a small emergency escape cylinder for the case the primary supply fails or the hose is cut or trapped.
Legend
- face mask
- air hose
- air supply / compressor
- demand valve
- escape cylinder
- waist belt / harness
Main components
Face mask and regulator
A full-face mask fitted with either a demand valve, delivering air only when the wearer inhales, or a continuous-flow regulator, which uses more air but responds instantly with no valve to fail on demand.
Air hose
A single length of reinforced hose, commonly supplied on a reel between roughly ten and fifty metres, connecting the mask to the fixed air source; hose length sets the practical working radius of the set.
Read the full guide
Air source
A breathing-air compressor built and filtered to breathing air quality, or a manifold fed from cascade cylinders, supplying one or several sets at once depending on capacity.
Escape set
A small bail-out cylinder, worn alongside the harness, giving the wearer enough air to withdraw from the space if the hose is severed, kinked, or the compressor fails.
Selection and sizing
- Hose length against the actual distance and layout to the work location, since a hose that is too short forces a compromise on positioning.
- Demand-valve sets for economy and longer jobs, continuous-flow for tasks where instant response matters more than air consumption.
- Compressor or manifold capacity against the number of sets expected to run simultaneously.
- Air quality: the source must be a certified breathing-air compressor, never a general service or instrument air line.
Typical faults
| Fault | Cause | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Air contamination | Oil carryover from a poorly maintained compressor | Toxic or oil-tainted air delivered to the wearer, the most dangerous failure mode |
| Hose kink or crush | Hose trapped under a door, ladder, or equipment while paying out | Reduced or blocked airflow to the wearer |
| Demand valve icing | Rapid expansion of air in cold conditions | Intermittent or reduced flow at the mask |
| Escape cylinder not checked | Skipped pre-use inspection | No usable backup supply if the hose is cut or the compressor stops |
Regulations
Breathing air supplied to any set, airline or self-contained, has to meet a recognised breathing air quality standard, and fire party sets required for immediate response remain self-contained rather than airline for exactly the reason that a hose can be cut or trapped in a fire. Hoses and cylinders are pressure tested and inspected on a schedule, with records kept as part of the safety management system.
What to look for in a supplier
- Certified breathing air output from the compressor, with documentation, not just a general compressed air unit.
- Hose burst pressure rating well above working pressure.
- Spare masks, demand valves and escape cylinders sized for the fitted system.
The real danger with an airline set is a contaminated or severed supply while the wearer is deep inside a space, not simply running low the way a cylinder does — check the escape cylinder every time, not only when it is due.
Models in this type.
The best-documented model of each manufacturer first, then the next — 12 of 12 models in Airline Breathing Apparatus. Every row links to full specifications, documents and service notes.
Manufacturers.
All 4 manufacturers with models of Airline Breathing Apparatus. Names with a manufacturer page open it; the others open a search across the full library.
All manufacturers in the libraryAlso in Breathing Apparatus.
The other equipment types in this category.
Write to us about this model — the answer comes by e-mail.
Name the make and the model and what the job is: a spare, a service call, a second opinion on a data sheet. We answer by e-mail.
No details at hand? A photo of the rating plate or the part is enough — simply attach it to the request.
Questions that come up with this equipment.
Is Airline Breathing Apparatus data free?
Yes. Every model page, every guide and every datasheet for this type is readable without an account. An account adds saved searches and requests, nothing is taken away.
My model is missing — what now?
Send us the nameplate. We identify it by hand, add it to the library, and if you need a part or a service, the request is already on our desk.
Can you source a Airline Breathing Apparatus part?
Yes. Tell us the manufacturer, the model and what you need — a person reads every request and replies by e-mail.