Aerospace Engineering Solutions (AES) has announced the successful completion and approval from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) to modify an Airbus A321-200 cabin for beOnd, the premium leisure airline headquartered in Dubai and based in the Maldives. The A321 is the second aircraft in beOnd’s fleet (the airline launched in November 2023 with a 44-seat A319-100 – you can tour the cabin HERE).
For the new aircraft, AES gained the EASA STC (No. 10085153), which enables AES’s Design Organisation Approval (DOA) team to modify the A321 cabin layout with 34 double business-class seats, to create a 68-passenger, all-business-class seating configuration.
AES, a specialist in aircraft design and certification headquartered in the UK, was contracted by beOnd to develop the cabin modification, with a goal being to offer lie-flat seating in the narrowbody aircraft. The Vivaldi lie-flat business class seat by Optimares was selected for the aircraft, specified with a seat motion power system, and 110V AC and USB Type-C in-seat power supply systems.
The cabin project also encompassed the rearrangement of monuments; re-assigning the Door 3 exit from Type I to Type III; rearranging the Passenger Service Units (PSUs) to suit the new seating layout; reconfiguring the emergency equipment and emergency path lighting; updating the placards; and fitting a new carpet and cabin attendant seat covers.
In addition to the aircraft interior reconfiguration, AES also provided the EASA-approved Part 21J technical data package required to apply beOnd’s signature dark grey and copper livery.
