LONG - H AUL C ONCEPTS
Baggage below, space above
Overhead understanding
Passenger comfort is a factor most
commonly determined by the personal
space available to them. Given the limited
footprint of narrow-body cabins, an
obvious area to improve is the overhead
bins. A particular issue is that there is
a lack of headroom due to the size of the
bins, which makes it difficult to stand
up directly from a seat.
“In business class, the new
generation of single-aisle layflat
seats could be designed
to incorporate discreet
stowage options for carry-on
luggage. This would enable
the internal cabin architecture
to be redesigned to increase
headspace and standing room,”
states Mike Crump, brand experience
director at Acumen Design Associates.
Furthermore, for longer routes,
premium customers will want to bring
larger cabin bags, so the creation of
dedicated lockers for premium bags could
help to reduce the impact on space and
reduce boarding delays.
“We could go a step further and
develop a gate-side cabin luggage service,
with bags loaded into the lower lobe and
then returned first on arrival (not through
the baggage system),” adds Crump.
“Future aircraft could even have a lift to
bring the luggage up from the hold in a
baggage rack for premium passengers.”
In Crump’s view, galleys also need to
be designed to be more multi-functional
to improve social activity, with a design
whereby they can be transformed midflight
into engaging self-service areas.
REINVENT
THE GALLEY
AIM Altitude’s solution to our challenge is something
already in development: a design intended to gain
space through revolutionising the meal service. The
company is working to reinvent the galley through
a meal-pack system that sees smaller, stackable meal
packs replace meal trays to offer space efficiency,
recycling options, waste reduction and more choice
for passengers.
“Our new galley system eliminates wasted space
in the galley cart, enabling the redesigned carts
themselves to be more compact and flexible in use.
The whole galley can subsequently be reduced in
size or, crucially for long-haul narrow-body flights,
can accommodate a greater number of meals,”
explains Helena Teichrib, senior industrial designer
at AIM Altitude.
“Drinks, meals and snacks are a vital element of any
flight, having a huge impact on the flight experience.
With the A321 XLR opening up longer routes, the galley
architecture will come under strain,” says Teichrib.
“Currently, one meal is served on short-haul narrowbody
flights, but if narrow-bodied aircraft are to travel
further, then galleys need to be designed to cope with
providing a wide-body service in a limited layout.
“The current galley has not really changed since
the 1960s and is ultimately built around the meal
tray. In today’s industry, a more sustainable and
space-efficient option is required,” she adds.
The newFACE narrowbody
concept for 2030
is a boxwing design
with a projected range
of 7,408km (4,000NM).
The proposed cabin
layout is an unusual
2+2+2 twin-aisle configuration,
meaning that each of the 150 seats
is either window or aisle and thus
desirable. An even more interesting
feature is that the overhead bins have
been removed to create a spacious
and uncluttered cabin architecture.
So where does Almadesign, the
creator of the concept (together
with Inegi, SET and Embraer), intend
passengers to stow
their belongings?
André Castro, design
manager at the studio,
states, “A flip-up seat
concept enables the
storage of a predefined
maximum size of hand luggage under
the seat pan.”
The concept uses a raised double
cabin floor, which provides extra
length for luggage to fit under the
seat pan. The height and weight is
compensated for by the removal of the
overhead bins. Meanwhile the air and
lighting systems are integrated into
the central upper console.
ai r c raf t inter iorsinternat ional . com 101
MARCH 2020
LEFT: AIM
ALTITUDE’S ARCA
CONCEPT
RIGHT: ACUMEN’S
DESIGN FOR JETBLUE’S
SELF-SERVICE ‘PANTRY’
SPLIT THE CABIN INTO
SMALLER ZONES
“ We could develop a gate-side
cabin luggage service”