CRYSTA L C A BIN AWARDS
Cabin Systems
WINNER: COLLINS AEROSPACE
The Cabin Systems category recognises
good design in practical elements of
the cabin, for everything from galleys
and lavs, to air conditioning, electrical
systems and acoustics. Judging criteria
include factors such as mechanical
efficiency, ergonomics and ease of
implementation.
Collins Aerospace won with its
M-Flex Duet kiosk, a clever idea that exploits unused cabin space
to enhance the passenger experience. Many premium self-serve
zones such as bars require seats to be removed to accommodate
the differentiated service monuments, and that loss of seats can
cost airlines six figures in lost revenue every year. However, M-Flex
Duet monuments do not require any loss of seat count. During TTL
the monuments are stowed and their compact design helps ensure
they meet all regulatory aircraft egress requirements. Once cruising
altitude is reached, crew can unfold the units (a process similar to
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Greener Cabin, Health,
Safety and Environment
aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
084 JUNE 2019
opening a closet door), and stretch them across the doorway
to create a stand-up branded self-serve social
area, an additional crew working
space or even a retail area.
WINNER: AIR NEW ZEALAND
SKYCOUCH
Entries in this category must either reduce the negative
environmental effects of aviation, or minimise health or
safety hazards and security concerns for passengers or
crew. International legislation compliance is taken into
consideration for the evaluation of each entry.
The original Skycouch from Air New Zealand won
the Passenger Comfort category of the 2011 Crystal
Cabin Awards, and eight years later the revised design
has won again! The Skycouch has proved popular
since its launch, when it broke new ground in creating
a genuine luxury upgrade for economy class, with
a row of seats able to be converted into a bed on
demand. The latest development is that Skycouch
is available as a family
space, with new
belts and features
ensuring that even
babies and infants can
be safely put to bed in
the space (hence the
change of category).
RUNNERS UP
Airbus also focused on flexibility with its X-Tend
Seat, designed for over-wing exit rows on narrowbody
aircraft. To comply with emergency evacuation
requirements of over-wing exits, these rows often have
a seat pitch of around 38in to create a 13in walkway to
the exit. Compared with the typical seat pitch of 28in in
the rest of the cabin, these rows are great for passenger
legroom, but bad for revenues. However, the seat pan
and bottom cushion of the X-Tend Seat can be partially
folded down when the passenger stands up, which
enables the required width to be created within a 33in
pitch, freeing up space to squeeze in another row of
seats, or to add a little more space to each seat row.
The third contender in the Cabin Systems category
was Diehl Aviation’s FlexPSU. When changing cabin
configurations it can be difficult to move current PSUs
to suit the new layout, mainly due to their wiring and
features such as air vents and reading lamps. The
solution provided by FlexPSU, a flexible PSU system, is
to implement a rail system integrated into the overhead
bins, with each PSU requiring just three connections
to operate. The simplicity of the mountings and
connections means that the FlexPSUs can be relocated
in just a few simple steps within minutes. The reduction
in cabling also creates a weight saving.
RUNNERS UP
Panasonic Avionics impressed with its
Nanoe air filtration system, a module
which forms part of Panasonic’s
Wellness initiative of passenger health
technologies. The module, which can be
integrated into the seat structure of a
first or business class seat, suppresses
airborne and surface viruses, bacteria,
mould, pollutants and allergens within
its local environment to eliminate
odours and improve air quality for the
passenger.
Diehl Aviation presented strong
competition with the UV-LED Water
Disinfection Unit, a retrofit antibacterial
filter for the washroom which makes
tapwater safe to ingest. The unit
uses compact UVC LEDs, which can
be integrated close to or directly into
the faucet. The unit operates at a
wavelength that Diehl claims can
eliminate at least 99.99% of germs.
You can find
more seating
innovations in
our special
feature on p52
TOP: THE M-FLEX DUET
MONUMENTS CAN TRANSFORM
UNUSED DOOR AREAS INTO
PROFITABLE RETAIL SPACES
LEFT: AIR NEW ZEALAND HAS
ADDED TO THE PASSENGER
EXPERIENCE POSSIBILITIES OF
ITS INNOVATIVE SKYCOUCH
/aircraftinteriorsinternational.com