AIM Altitude is celebrating the delivery of its 123rd ship set for the Emirates A380 interior to Airbus in Hamburg, including the iconic horseshoe bar. As the final ship set in the series, this delivery marks a 15-year milestone in the relationship between Emirates and AIM Altitude – a relationship that is set to continue for many years to come.
The airline’s A380 interiors have seen many iterations over the years, with a major refresh introduced with the 100th ship set. The interiors represent a significant production task for AIM Altitude, with each ship set consisting of a horseshoe-shaped bar unit, a chiller bar that stands behind the main bar, left- and right-hand sofas, a stand-up stowage unit with a 55in TV display, a storage unit for the cabin, and the distinctive waterfall feature that adorns the top of the staircase.
AIM Altitude says that perhaps one of the reasons the lounge-bar design has been so well received by passengers is that it became a collaboration between its design team and the airline’s knowledge of its passengers’ preferences.
As an example, the original design for the bar zone offered a choice between two types of sofa: a two-plus-two facing each other, or an L-shaped sofa for three people. Originally presented to Emirates with the idea of having a matching pair of one of the configurations, upon seeing the layout, the airline decided it would prefer to have one of each of the sofa designs, which created an interesting asymmetry.
Neil Taggart, VP & general manager of AIM Altitude, part of AVIC Cabin Systems (ACS), said of the company’s work with the airline: “This long and continuous association with Emirates is evidence that the design of the A380’s lounge bar has reached classic status whilst retaining its freshness and continuing appeal to passengers. The synergy between design and aircraft has proved quite remarkable”.
The last A380 will be delivered to Emirates out of Hamburg. AIM Altitude will continue to refresh some of the older fleet with the new style of interior that was introduced from the 100th ship set onwards, so its manufacturing work for the airline will continue for some time to come.
Emirates and AIM Altitude also have further projects on the horizon, including a confirmed programme on Emirates’ Boeing 777s and a proposed retrofit to update and refresh the older-style interiors of the airline’s A380 fleet.
You can read ‘From design to delivery: The Emirates A380 lounge story’ HERE.
