UP F RONT
HAPPY 50th, AIRBUS
Airbus has gone from strength to strength since the A300 programme was formally announced at
the 1969 Paris Air Show. We asked a key Airbus cabin expert his views on the past and the future…
CUSTOMER-CENTRIC DESIGN
A notable change at Airbus
over the years is a shift from
utilitarian cabin design, to a
more customer-centric focus,
says Wuggetzer.
“Earlier we saw a more
industrial era of design, mostly
driven by safety and engineering,” he says. “Ten years
ago, design agencies really started to come into the
picture. We had a clear change, in terms of product design. We
also changed from a passenger revenue focus to a passenger
experience focus. This passenger experience focus was supported
by great industrial design; new agencies that really put design
learnings on the ground into the aircraft,” Wuggetzer says. “We
had big changes in comfort services, especially when you consider
IFE and connectivity. We had these big pneumatic IFE headsets,
and now you have noise-cancelling headsets and perfect quality
surround sound, big HD IFE screens, and connectivity.”
aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
014 SEPTEMBER 2019
50 years ago the French minister of
transport, Jean Chamant and the
German minister of economic affairs,
Karl Schiller, signed an agreement at
Paris Air Show to jointly develop the
A300. Over the five decades since, the
company has created many fine aircraft,
technologies and innovative designs. Ingo Wuggetzer, Airbus’s VP of
cabin marketing, a 20-year veteran at the company and one of its key
design experts, shares his thoughts on milestones and the future.
MATERIALS
What materials advances hold the most
promise for future designs?
“3D printing will be revolutionary, and that
might involve different materials such as
plastic or metal. That is something I believe
strongly will take off – especially for interiors
– because it makes customisation easy.”
FAVOURITE CABINS
Wuggetzer has worked on many
cabin designs over the years, but
which is his favourite?
“I’m very biased, as I designed
one myself for Lufthansa, which
I liked very much. It was the
A340-600, a very long and very
elegant cabin. We created a very
contemporary feel,” he says.
“If I look at more recent
programmes, for me, the
A 1982 A300
CABIN DESIGN
outstanding one is Airspace. Its
DNA, its ambience, the service
design and comfort… all of those
are elements that we can now
apply across other programmes.
To me, that is achieving the next
level. It truly has the best
features and the best potential
advantages for the passenger
experience, and it will be available
across all aircraft programmes.”
A380
Read more of
Ingo Wuggetzer ’s
views in the
Features setion of
our website
Wuggetzer believes that the A380
has made major contributions to
the world of aircraft architecture
and he says that Airbus statistics
show a passenger preference for
the aircraft, even if airlines are
shying away from A380 orders.
“The A380 architecture is still
unique and hard to top because
it offers unique comfort levels
in terms of width of space and
in terms of the quietness of the
cabin. It’s a product architecture
that is really enjoyed by
passengers,” he says.
“I think it’s the best value you
can get when flying in economy
class,” he says. “The environment
in the cabins is what we want:
lots of space. We love space.
It’s a perfect cabin situation.”
CHALLENGES
The airline industry has suffered shocks over the past decades,
with a major blow to the aviation world being 9/11.
“The world was shocked about the attacks, but in the long run it
didn’t stop people travelling. Travel is needed for globalisation, so
9/11 did not stop our cabin design work. It had no effect other than
we increased our safety focus in terms of cockpit doors and systems
protection. However, the business class market did suffer after the
financial crisis, and that had an impact. It may have contributed to
the market growth of premium economy. Some people who
previously flew business
were challenged about their
travel costs, and that may
have created a difference in
demand.”
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AIRSPACE IS THE
LATEST PHASE IN
AIRBUS CABIN DESIGN
AN A350 FLYING WITH THE RED
ARROWS AS PART OF AIRBUS’S
50TH ANNIVERSARY
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