LONG - H AUL C ONCEPTS
Time for
inclusive design
As the flight range of single-aisle aircraft increases,
the inequality for those travelling with a disability must
be addressed. As James Tanner, associate director at
Factorydesign says, “new standards must be set.”
In response to our challenge the team at
Factorydesign created business class furniture with an
integrated space for wheelchair users travelling on an
economy ticket. This space would allow a wheelchair
user to board the aircraft independently with their
own flight-safe wheelchair (a new standard would be
required), which would be docked using a universally
agreed mechanism suitable for use through turbulence
and TTL. The design would also provide IFE features and
all other economy seat amenities.
“When unoccupied, a business class wheelchair user
(who would transfer to their seat to take advantage
of functions such as a lie-flat bed) can stow their
wheelchair in this space. At all other times the space can
be converted into a destination, a small lounge, or retail
space for business class passengers,” says Tanner.
Situated opposite would be an accessible lav, with
accessible features designed in (not bolted on), including
integrated grab rails that are backlit to aid the visually
impaired, accessible basin and mirror heights, and a
railed door that can be closed and locked with ease.
“Inclusive design has been championed by a few
tireless campaigners, but overlooked by the industry
as a whole for too long,” says Tanner. “Together we
can make things better for everyone.”
aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
102 MARCH 2020
Parallel
thinking
According to Collins Aerospace, as the
market for aircraft such as the A321
XLR grows, we will see more than
the installation of long-haul seats on
single-aisle aircraft. New business
models will drive a need to create the
best single-aisle experience, while
both maximising cabin utilisation and
focusing on the needs of four- to eighthour
flight segments. Collins claims to
have been the first company to certify
a lie-flat business class product on a
single-aisle aircraft, and the company
has continued to invest in this part of its
product portfolio; indeed its 2:2 Parallel
Diamond single-aisle product was
developed specifically to enable airlines
to maintain a comparable domestic first
class density with a full premium class
electric seat ‘lieflat’
experience,
all with minimal
investment.
This seat is
now flying with
La Compagnie.
CREW COMFORT
The longer range of new narrow-body
aircraft introduces unique challenges
in terms of crew rest requirements.
In response, Collins Aerospace has
developed a high-comfort cabin
attendant seat to meet the rest
requirements of crew while maintaining
cabin density. This design allows the
seating system to be stowed compactly
for egress, folded down for TTL seating,
and deployed into multiple near-neutral
body positions. All of this is accomplished
in less longitudinal space than current
HCCAS offerings.
SOCIABILITY IN
SMALL AREAS
The introduction of
flexible social areas
can help optimise
the inflight offering
without reducing
cabin density. Such
spaces enable
airlines to utilise unused spaces in the
aircraft, allowing them to maintain a
higher seat capacity than with the more
traditional permanent social areas. One
such design is Collins Aerospace’s M-Flex
Duet, a transitional monument that takes
advantage of the underutilised space in
aircraft doorways to provide a self-serve
social zone without impacting airline
seat revenues.
In minutes, crew members can
transform the cabin to offer passengers
a self-service refreshment area. Or,
because flexibility is designed into the
monument, it can become an additional
galley area or other crew workspace.
Prior to TTL or during turbulence, M-Flex
Duet can be quickly stowed to appear
much like traditional monuments, and
fully complies with all egress regulations.
Monument
optimisation
Class partitions are often
static and inflexible.
The regulations relating
to how much space
is needed between
the partition and the
passengers sitting behind it to meet
HIC requirements have created many
inefficiencies in space utilisation.
However, the Silhouette Move design
by Collins Aerospace is a moveable class
divider that takes advantage of the
unused space between the divider and
the seat in front of it. A configuration
is available for single-aisle aircraft,
which adds one cubic foot of space per
passenger seated in the bulkhead row
while still meeting HIC requirements.
El Al is launch customer – see p19.
“ Together we can
make things better
for everyone”
LEFT:
FACTORYDESIGN’S
ACCESSIBLE
LAVATORY CONCEPT
INCLUDES LUXURY
TOUCHES AND
TOUCHLESS FUNTIONS
/aircraftinteriorsinternational.com