In this Issue - September 2011

The September 2011 issue is now available online! Packed full of news, interviews and features, including:

Cover story – Airbus Concept Cabin: Dismissed by some as mere brand alchemy, Airbus’s Concept Cabin nevertheless asks all the right questions – and hints at some fascinating answers

ANA 787: ANA finally looks set to begin 787 commercial service this September – so what can we expect to see on board?

Reduced mobility: An aging population and growing numbers of travellers with disabilities mean new considerations for aircraft cabin designers

Korean Air A380: Korean Air has unveiled the roomiest A380 yet – with its spacious layout complemented by headline-grabbing lounges and even a duty-free shop

Cabin recycling: Most cabin furnishings currently cannot be recycled, but airframers and airlines alike are working to make it possible

Weight reduction: Lighter seats and other cabin elements are helping airlines achieve substantial reductions in fuel consumption, costs and emissions

airberlin upgrades: Germany’s second largest airline is investing in both its short- and long-haul fleet as it prepares to join the oneworld alliance in 2012

Seat supply: Airlines continue to complain of a lack of innovation and choice among seating firms, but can a new generation of suppliers provide a solution?

Airbus IFE: Airbus reveals its next-generation IFE requirements for the A350XWB

IFE future: Reports of the death of airline-provided IFE have been greatly exaggerated – neither PEDs, nor live TV, nor inflight connectivity have got the better of it yet – but will they in the future?

Luke Miles: Virgin Atlantic’s new head of design takes time out to talk about his ambitions for the airline

Design briefs: A rail car concept to improve airport-city connections; and a futuristic bizjet cabin concept that has already been translated into a mock-up

Show preview: The top innovations to look out for at the Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas, APEX and IFSA shows in Seattle, USA, this September

Personal profile: Chase Craig of Alaska Airlines on the airline’s IFEC choices, and what expo visitors can do in his home town, Seattle

Fact file: airberlin’s fleet in numbers

In this Issue - June 2011

The June 2011 issue is now available online! Packed full of news, interviews and features, including:

Lufthansa 747-400: Lufthansa’s new Boeing 747-400 upper deck cabin offers first-class passengers their own full-length bed alongside each seat – with just eight seats in total

Passenger profiles: Airlines that take the time to really understand passenger needs through the use of customer profiling are realising increased revenues through game-chasing products. 

Virgin Australia: Virgin Blue has been rebranded as Virgin Australia, and its latest aircraft feature new business- and economy-class seats designed to provide a contemporary twist to the cabin

IFE interfaces: The latest control units offer new ways of interfacing with IFE systems, enabling passengers to replicate the multi-device environment they typically enjoy at home

Lavatory design: Lighting, décor, accessibility, functionality and hygiene are among the considerations in lavatory design, and new approaches promise both operational and aesthetic benefits

Hamburg cluster: What are the secrets behind Hamburg’s rise as the undoubted global centre for excellence and innovation in cabin design and technology?

Seating review: Seven super seats from Aircraft Interiors Expo 2011 – including the latest thinking in the fast-moving high-density business-class and ultralight economy-class sectors

WiFi on board: Despite fears of rogue radio frequencies running loose in the cabin, onboard mobile phone use continues apace without incident with inflight WiFi rapidly following in its wake

Design briefs: A single-aisle design for wide-body aircraft from C&D Zodiac; and an overlapping high-density business-class concept from Formation Design

Expo review: The most exciting products launched at Aircraft Interiors Expo 2011 in April – and who triumphed in this year’s Crystal Cabin Awards

Personal profile: Mr Burns on a motorcycle – meet Kerry Reeves, Air New Zealand’s manager of aircraft programmes 

In this Issue - March 2011

The March 2011 issue is now available online! Packed full of news, interviews and features, including:

Cover story – future cabin: Many have wild visions of the future cabin, but could the differences be much more subtle than we expect?

Cathay Pacific: The airline is flipping the traditional herringbone business-class format on its head to redress passenger concerns regarding seat width and privacy

Boarding times: The time taken to board and disembark passengers has a major impact on aircraft turnaround times – is there a better way?

Livery Design: Four design and brand experts explain how to get logo and livery design right, and speculate on how technology will enable different ways of branding in the future

NFW concept: A new concept from Contour and Factorydesign looks beyond a flat bed and a nice meal to create an onboard flight experience with a difference

Ka-band: The struggle for passenger broadband dominance started in earnest last year when two Ku-band satellite providers flung down the gauntlet to the L-band incumbent – but now a third technology – Ka-band – is about to enter the fray

Flydubai: Emirates of Dubai has been a global leader in IFE and connectivity for years but now its low-fare sibling is displaying the same pioneering spirit

Narrow-bodies: New lightweight seats are helping airlines transform their short- and medium-haul services, while passenger expectations are driving the addition of connectivity and IFE to narrow-body cabins

Enabling platform: A new cabin architecture offers enhanced options for customisation and enables Airbus to include provision for future reconfiguration in its A350 catalogue offerings

Teague Flight 2.0: A radical future vision of flight divides air travel between sedate airships for leisure travel and ultra-efficient jets for only the most essential business trips

Design brief: A glossy, futuristic economy-class short-haul cabin from the University of Applied Sciences Munich

Guest room: Peter Vink of Delft University takes a closer look at the psychological factors behind passenger comfort

Show preview: Our pick of the innovations to be displayed at Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg

Personal profile: Reza Soltanian, president of Regent Aerospace, on recycling and restoration

Fact file: The vital statistics on Cathay Pacific’s fleet

In this Issue - November 2010

The November 2010 issue is now available online! Packed full of news, interviews and features, including:

Cover story – Boeing 787: From psychological research to timed physical installation checks, Boeing has gone to unprecedented lengths to make sure the interior of its 787 looks good, feels better and fits together perfectly

Stand-up seating: The attention surrounding the SkyRider seat that AvioInteriors showed at September’s Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas prompts a closer look at an idea that refuses to go away

Turkish Airlines: Priestmangoode had just 12 months to develop a new brand identity and interiors for one of Europe’s fastest growing airlines

Koito update: The fallout from Koito’s admission that it has falsified seat testing data continues, with airlines asked to inspect and possibly remove seats currently in service

ATR 600 Armonia: Slimline seating and sculpted ceiling, side panels and overhead bins help lighten the mood on the new ATR 600 Armonia interior, with design input from Giugiaro

Handheld players: The use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology for handheld IFE is so over – or is it?

Fabric, leather and flooring: New products and technologies from aviation’s leather, fabric and flooring suppliers

Lighting: A look at the latest lighting products designed to make the aircraft cabin safe, attractive and flexible

Design brief: A flexible seat layout system from Seymourpowell

Personal profile: Priestmangoode’s Luke Hawes

Fact file: Turkish Airlines’ long-haul fleet in numbers

Airline Catering International 2010 - In this Issue

NEW: Airline Catering International 2010 is now available online! A special supplement for our inflight catering and galley equipment readership, providing detailed coverage of the following hot topics:

Cover story: Can airlines make money from meals without alienating passengers already ‘nickel and dimed’ at every turn?

Sustainability: Inflight catering produces a colossal amount of waste – but what can airlines and equipment manufacturers do about it?

New galley: Airbus says airline concerns about the potential operational problems of its new SPICE galley standard are exaggerated and vastly outweighed by the likely benefits – the first SPICE units are set to enter service in 2013

Interview: Michelin Star chef Marc Fosh reveals the rigours of working with Lufthansa and LSG Sky Chefs as part of the airline’s renowned Star Chefs dining programme

Trolley round-up: Manufacturers are finding ways to make their new trolleys lighter, brighter and easier to use

Interview: Vicky Stennes, president of the International Flight Services Association, and vice president of inflight experience at JetBlue Airways, on the challenges and opportunities facing the industry
 

In this Issue - September 2010

The September 2010 issue is now available online! Packed full of news, interviews and features, including:

Cover story: Airliners used to carry passengers – now they transport guests, customers or travellers – how can the IFE system help their operators redress the erosion of fare income by turning them into buyers?

Airline case study: Inspired by its First Class Terminal at Frankfurt, Lufthansa’s new first class on its A380s responds to customer requests for peace and privacy

Supply chain: Diehl’s acquisition of Dasell Cabin Interiors underlines the German industrial group’s ambition to become a supplier of complete, integrated cabin systems

Seating concept: B/E Aerospace and Priestman Goode have developed the Open Concept Suite – a stylish first-class product that wouldn’t look out of place in your living room

Premium seating: Every trick in the book is being employed by vendors desperate to help airlines squeeze more seats into business class without any loss in comfort

Airline case study: JetBlue celebrates its 10th anniversary this year – and continues to hold true to its original values of service and product

Economy seating: Established giants are competing with an influx of new companies in the economy and premium-economy seat market, resulting in more space- and weight-efficient products

New aircraft: Irkut exhibited a mock-up of its MS-21 single-aisle airliner at Farnborough in July, with a singularly well-appointed cabin from C&D Zodiac

Show preview: Our pick of the innovations to be displayed at Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas

Design briefs: Priestman Goode’s Mercury Train; Design FL’s suspended seating concept, ‘Air’; and ‘Neoseat’ – a slimline economy model from Mormedi

Opinion: Daniel Baron of Lift Strategic Design says talk of twin aisles on narrowbodies misses the point

Personal profile: Christina Foerster, general manager, intercontinental product management at Lufthansa

Fact file: The vital statistics of Lufthansa’s long-haul fleet
 

Airline Entertainment International 2010 - In this issue

NEW: Airline Entertainment International 2010 is now available online! A special supplement for our IFE readership, providing detailed coverage of the following hot topics:

Blurred visions: HD video is hot, with IFE providers queuing up to trumpet new products – but there’s a lot more to delivering a true HD experience than meets the eye

Joined-up seating: The current process of procuring IFE hardware and the seats it goes into is a bit like buying a new car and then fitting the dashboard as an afterthought – however a new era of integration is now bearing fruit

Ka the killer app?: Just as the airlines decide it’s safe to dip a toe into the connectivity waters, along comes a new technology to make them think again 

Regional campaign: Turboprops, regional jets and a new generation of narrowbodies are the next frontier for the IFE industry – two companies have developed overhead video installations designed specifically for the smaller cabin

What’s in a name? Patrick Brannelly, WAEA president, on the association’s recent change of name

Interview: Patrick Candelier, Airbus cabin services marketing, explains the aircraft manufacturer’s take on the fast-moving connectivity sector – and why it believes L-band is the best option – at least for now…

In this Issue - May 2010

The May 2010 issue is now available online! Packed full of news, interviews and features, including:

Cover story: Some airlines are stripping away their front cabins, while others continue to invest – ultimately the future of first class relies on a better understanding of customer needs on specific routes

Airline case study: British Airways' new First combines intelligent design with a proven heritage to create a truly authentic and liberating luxury experience

Seat safety: For passengers, aircraft seats are just a more or less comfortable place to spend the journey – but in regulatory terms, the main consideration is the protection they provide in the event of a crash

Airline case study: Operating the world’s longest sectors has inspired Air New Zealand to develop an innovative 777-300ER cabin that breaks new ground in accommodation, entertainment and service

A350 catalogue: Airbus has just published its catalogue of approved cabin equipment for the A350 – so who’s in and who’s out, and what are the options available?

Airline case study: Oman Air is spending heavy on luxury interiors and the latest cabin technology – CEO Peter Hill explains the airline's strategy

IFE engineering: A new wave of IFE entrants are taking a fresh look at how entertainment is delivered on board by shifting storage and processing power from the head-end to the seat

Airline case study: Condor is the first airline to retrofit its A320 fleet with the new Enhanced Cabin from Airbus

Wireless IFE: Wireless was to be the next big thing for the IFE industry, but now the top two suppliers have tuned out, leaving an ambitious newcomer to try its luck

Airline case study: Philippine Airlines has introduced new interiors inspired by the carrier’s home coastline on its latest 777-300ERs

Show preview: Our pick of the innovations to be displayed at Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg

Personal profile: Peter Tennent of Factorydesign is a firm believer in the value of building physical mock-ups

Design briefs: Molon Labe Designs’ sliding seat allows extra aisle room; and the Lady-Lav – a dedicated lavatory for female use on board aircraft

Personal profile: Richard Stevens, managing creative director at forpeople – a London-based design firm that advises on all aspects of luxury

Fact file: ANZ’s fleet at a glance
 

In this issue - February 2010

The February 2010 issue is now available online! Packed full of news, interviews and features, including:

Cover story: Korean Air has embarked on a major fleet overhaul, with new Kosmo Suites from Contour spearheading a package of seating and IFE improvements to mark its 40th anniversary

IFE and seat integration: Once upon a time, IFE was IFE and seats were seats and never the twain should meet – but Panasonic’s ‘fusion’ project heralds a new era of closer integration and cooperation between the two sectors

Airline case study: ANA’s new ‘Inspiration of Japan’ brand sees the launch of a new inflight product and service concept on its 777-300ERs

Increasing seat density in business class: Flat beds are de rigueur in today’s most sought-after business-class cabins, but the problem for airlines is how to square recumbence with revenue and extend sleeping space without eroding seat density

Gulf focus: Gulf-based carriers have redefined premium-class air travel in recent years, as their buying power has even enabled them to persuade the manufacturers to modify their airframes to accommodate new amenities

Onboard catering: Beyond investing in new ‘hard’ onboard products, airlines also need to ensure their inflight catering and service remain compelling for frequent fliers

Personal profile: PAIG’s Ben Bettell, who is set to retire this summer, on everything from the influence of the automotive sector, to how to throw a good party!

AIME preview: Our pick of the innovations to be displayed at Aircraft Interiors Middle East

Design brief: Priestmangoode’s compact design for a multitasking budget hotel bedroom

Fact file: Korean Air’s fleet at a glance

In this Issue - November 2009

The November 2009 issue is now available online! Packed full of news, interviews and features, including:

Cover story: The latest display technology to better integrate electronic components and make screen-equipped seats slimmer, more comfortable and more affordable

Bon voyage: Air France is the first European airline to offer a fixed-shell seat in premium economy

Acute angle: How one key design decision makes all the difference to passenger comfort in US Airways’ new Envoy Suite

Slim liners: Good things, they say, come in small packages: three new regional jets from northeast Asia are seeking to prove the proverb true with their promise of mainline comfort and space

Light touch: From easing the pangs of jetlag to reinforcing brand loyalty, today’s intelligent cabin lighting systems are beginning to make a big difference to the passenger experience

Spice time: Airbus is approaching decision time on whether to take its SPICE galley to market as a replacement for the decades-old standards that govern current equipment design

Airline Entertainment International 2009 - In this issue

NEW: Airline Entertainment International September 2009 is now available online! A special supplement for our IFE readership, providing detailed coverage of the following hot topics:

Ancillary revenue: Earning significant extra cash from IFE and passenger communications has long been a Holy Grail for the airlines, but now the disastrous state of their business has added new urgency to their efforts

Connectivity: The argument about passenger demand for onboard connectivity is over, but it’s still anybody’s guess as to which technology will dominate in the long run

Content delivery: For years the antiquated ‘Sneakernet’ that delivers content to the aircraft on the ground has made IFE an anomaly in an increasingly wired world – How close to realisation is the vision of end-to-end network delivery?

Handhelds: The apparently low costs of entry have attracted a crowd of hopefuls to the handheld IFE market over recent years, but now there are just two main contenders, with a pack of B-listers fighting for the scraps

PLUS: Exclusive interviews with IFE managers and decision-makers at the major airlines:

Dee Brady: Q&A with British Airways' IFE programming manager

Christian Köerfgen: Q&A with Lufthansa's VP of product management and innovation

In this Issue - September 2009

The September 2009 issue is now available online! Packed full of news, interviews and features, including:

Virtual certification: Using software rather than hardware to assess the safety of new seat designs promises to make innovation easier – or so the theory goes!

Airline case study: Etihad’s award-winning Diamond (first) class now boasts individual suites and a luxurious changing room – but that’s only half the story

Ancillary revenue: Airlines are quickly catching on to the ancillary revenue streams to be made from à la carte fees for everything from checked baggage, food and IFE, but where should carriers seek to draw the line?

Airline case study: British Airways’ new all-business-class service between London City and New York JFK hopes to succeed where others have failed

Vertical space: Pie in the sky or inevitable long-haul product development conclusion? A new generation of tiered seating and sleeping schemes aim to turn headroom into bedroom

Future cabin (IFE): In-seat sensors, a powerful local area network, and a huge increase in connectivity bandwidth are at the heart of Thales’s future cabin vision

Soft furnishings: Four aviation colour and trim experts share their thoughts on the latest soft furnishing trends, materials and technologies shaping cabin design

Personal profile: Alan Pellegrini, vice-president and general manager of Thales’s IFE business, on the wonders and headaches of technology

Expo preview: What to look out for at Aircraft Interiors Expo Asia

Design brief: Blue Sky’s SleepSeat

Design brief: Architecture and Vision’s interior design for a ‘rocket plane’ destined for space tourism

Fact file: Etihad's fleet at a glance

In this Issue - June 2009

The June 2009 issue is now available online! Packed full of news, interviews and features, including:

Cover story: As companies continue to cut back on business-class travel, premium economy has a vital role to play in boosting airline revenues, but what is its optimum cabin configuration?

Design report: Nautilus, a premium-class cabin concept for the A380 mock-up, boasts curves in all the right places

Product focus: Aircraft Interiors Expo 2009 saw a multitude of new economy seating products and concepts, all focused on reduced weight, low cost of ownership and improved living space and comfort

Product focus: A look at the rise in popularity of in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems in single-aisle airliners and regional jets (including some leading systems’ vital statistics)

Design report: LED mood lighting, sculpted ceilings, and bigger bins and windows lie at the heart of the new Sky interior for the Boeing 737

Hot topic: Aircraft seat manufacturing needs a shake-up in ambition, technique and innovation according to experts both inside and outside of the industry – but where will the change come from and what form will it take?

Airline case study: A new logo, new interiors and fresh food are designed to ensure Latin American airline TACA presents a contemporary image to international customers

Personal profile: Klaus Brauer, Boeing’s recently retired director of passenger satisfaction and revenue, looks back over an illustrious career

Expo review: The key trends from Aircraft Interiors Expo 2009 in Hamburg

Crystal Cabin Awards: The winners and runners up from this year’s Crystal Cabin Awards

Design brief: James Lee’s ‘Paperclip’ armrest

Design brief: aeras seat project’s economy-class seat

Fact file: TACA International Airlines’ fleet at a glance

In this Issue - March 2009

The March 2009 issue is now available online! Packed full of news, interviews and features, including:

Expo Preview: The products to look out for at this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, as well as interviews with leading exhibitors

Cover story: With designer wallpaper, a funky bar and cheeky crockery items, V Australia hopes to add a little Aussie humour and style to the Virgin family of airline brands

Hot topic: Cabin engineers are facing conflicting demands, with pressure to save weight seemingly at odds with the need to keep passengers happy and revenues up

New product launch: SWISS is introducing first-class suites on board its new A330 fleet, however the airline currently has no plans to introduce the same product on its A340s

Hot topic: Safety videos needn’t be boring – airlines are adopting a range of new strategies to ensure passengers pay attention, while reinforcing their own brand values

Airline Case Study: Other low-cost, long-haul start-ups may have failed, but Air Asia X’s strict grasp of the no-frills model suggests a much brighter future

Hot topic: More harmonisation and standardisation in economy seating could help both airlines and their suppliers to cut their costs and increase their efficiency

Airline Case Study: Aeroflot’s reinvention continues with the arrival of its first A330-200, which boasts a new interior that should give both crew and passengers plenty to smile about

Hot topic: The FAA denies its new Organisation Designation Approval (ODA), which allows companies to ‘self-certify’ major interiors modifications, is a threat to safety standards

Case Study: More than 50 years have passed since British Airways flew its first transatlantic passenger jet flight – how times have changed!

Airline Case Study: Transaero’s new Imperial class features a lavish meal service inspired by Russia’s Imperial past

Personal Profile: Ian Scoley, head of industrial design, cabin innovation, Airbus shares some personal insights and inspirations

Design Brief: JPA and Sicma Aero Seat’s reverse-herringbone business-class suite

Design Brief: AIDA’s private office module

Fact File: SWISS’s fleet at a glance