CA BIN R E TROFITS
aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
MARCH 2020 065
Eaton agrees that a ‘refresh’ or cosmetic-limited
change is often the best solution for aircraft with the
shortest lease terms. “The best way to retrofit an aircraft
quickly is perhaps to use refurbished/overhauled parts,
and to minimise cabin layout changes – for example, just
changing from one class to two class – and performing
a simple cabin refresh such as carpet, curtain and dress
cover changes,” he says. “The lead time can be greatly
reduced if, say, refurbished seats are used rather than new
seats. One can get seats refurbished within about an eightweek
timeframe, whereas it can take a minimum of five
Independent thinking
At Aircraft Interiors Expo in April 2019,
IAMA, the Independent Aviation Modifier
Alliance (IAMA) was launched by a group of
aviation influencers who wished to promote
their retrofit STC (Supplemental Type
Certificate) capabilities and to dispel the
perception that independent STCs are of a
lower quality solution than those of OEMs.
IAMA hopes to offer more choice for
operators and boost business for its
founding members – EAD Aerospace, Envoy
Aerospace, Etihad Airways Engineering
and Lufthansa Technik – and to establish
an independent STC brand. IAMA is open
to new members, including aircraft and
equipment manufacturers, airlines,
suppliers, banks and lessors, because it is
convinced that a strong and transparent
retrofit market will benefit everyone.
The alliance addresses customer
concerns with regard to documentation,
data availability and a worldwide customer
support network across different regulatory
systems with various national authorities.
The main objectives of IAMA are to agree
common standards for the documentation
and quality of STCs, to establish an
available, secure documentation platform
for airline customers and aircraft owners
using STCs, and to inform the relevant
public and expert communities about the
advantages of STC-approved solutions.
to six months if new seats are specified.”
If a simple refresh work-scope is accomplished – for
example, changing seat covers with the same supplier
and same material – then the lead time can be much
shorter, adds Eaton. However, if the dress cover supplier
is changed, the new lessee does not usually use exactly the
same design for their covers, so fresh flammability tests
are required, which may add another four to six weeks
to the lead time.
Indeed the quickest way to get a cabin on brand and
in the air is to use already designed and certified parts.
The moment materials are changed, their specifications
change, so testing and certification tasks need to be
performed; for seat covers this would mean,
for example, compliance with flammability
requirements for textiles, foams, etc.
This may be costly and will certainly
require time.
“Refurbishing major parts like
lavatories and seats is a good way to
improve the appearance of a cabin without
major interference with the existing
layout,” says Schulz. “However, in such
cases obsolescence for spare parts needs
“A ‘refresh’ is
often the best
solution for
aircraft on
short lease”
LUFTHANSA TECHNIK HAS
IMPRESSIVE FACILITIES FOR
CARRYING OUT CABIN RETROFITS
Visit the
Features section
of our website to
read insights into
flammability
testing
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