Aircraft cabin, one of the first tangible features of an airline that has a direct connection with the passenger. As soon as a passenger steps inside an aircraft, the first noticeable aspect is the cabin interior, the hue and colors, the mood-lighting…then slowly as the passenger makes his way towards his seat, the next feature that is in direct contact with the passenger is the seat cushion/cover, the Wi-Fi connectivity, In-Flight entertainment, the headphones and goodies (if any) that are placed in the seat pocket. If the passenger is pleased with all of the above, he will rank the airline as number 1 on his priority list the next time he travels and also spread a word-of-mouth publicity about the airline and the comforts it provides.
“A cabin creates the image of an airline,” says Dr. Praveen Srivastava, CEO of AeroChamp. “It’s a struggle for every Airline to offer a cozy feel to the passengers in every class and enhance their flying experience.” Therefore, he stresses on the importance of aircraft interiors and the role it plays in creating an overall perception in the minds of a passenger about the airline as a whole.
Really, it’s the little things that makes all the difference when it comes to customer loyalty and satisfaction as aircraft interiors is almost always on the radar or anything out of place resulting in passenger discomfort or fury.
Let dive a bit further into the world of aircraft interiors, what are the latest trends post-COVID and how is the industry rapidly advancing towards digitization and AI.
Setting the tone of the discussion, Naveen Chawla, CEO of Epsilon Aerospace urges the airlines to redefine their strategies to uphold interior standards that align with global norms. “This approach will not only guarantee the safety and comfort of customers but also serve as a compelling factor for airlines to retain their clientele in the long term. To achieve this, significant efforts must be dedicated to cabin maintenance, including the use of appropriate materials and obtaining necessary approval certifications.”
Sustainability – High on the Agenda
Speaking about appropriate materials, one of the most commonly found trend in aircraft interiors is the use of sustainable materials in aircraft interior designing. “As passengers in certain regions are getting more and more climate-conscious, sustainability has become a paramount concern for many airlines, particularly in Europe and Japan,” says Arthur Glain, Advanced Concept Manager at Safran Seats. “Airlines are placing significant emphasis on reducing weight, sourcing bio-material and increasing recyclability, with Safran Seats taking a leading role in these efforts,” he adds.
Dr. Srivastava also feels that Sustainability is the buzz word across the aviation industry and aircraft interiors material researchers and manufacturers are progressively developing eco-friendly products. He further goes on to explain this with an example of faux leather upholstery a replacement to the animal skin leather. “I have seen some premium quality faux leather like Izit replacing the genuine leather passenger seat upholstery. Airlines have started considering carbon neutral and recyclable interior material against the traditional material and there is a lot of research being carried out in this area,” he added.
Sub-segmentation in cabin-class with Premium economy leading the way
Apart from the rising use of sustainable materials like eco-friendly paper, wooden plates and cutlery for servings and complete avoidance of single use plastic, the aircraft cabin has undergone rapid sub-segmentation as complex cabins appear as opportunities for ancillary revenues, right from business class to first class, economy to premium economy. With evolving trend in airline booking systems, we are seeing more and more airlines willing to create sub-segmentations within a given, creating distinct passenger experiences, catering to specific passenger needs and boosting ancillary revenues explains Glain. Glain explains this with the aid of an example of incorporation of ‘Elite’ front row monuments offering a first-class experience to passenger at front-end of the cabin, has become a crucial element in the design of new cabin layouts.
Apart from this post-COVID traffic surge has been fueled by an increase in leisure business travelers who are willing to pay extra for a more comfortable travel experience.
“Premium economy has emerged as the new class over the past couple of years, as the frequent flyers expect more comfort with better leg room and additional services on long haul flights,” adds Dr. Srivastava. “While the seats remain same as the economy class, challenge lies in differentiating the premium economy class by its appearance and additional features,” he argues further.
Meanwhile after experiencing a decline over the last decade, the First-Class segment is witnessing a remarkable revival. Key players are enhancing their offerings, and new entrants are entering this market.
Going ahead post-COVID-19 pandemic airlines are coming forward and investing in lavish and luxurious aircraft interiors for a better and enhanced customer experience. “Airlines are acutely aware that their onboard products constitute a crucial aspect of their brand identity,” says Glain. “Notably, impressive retrofit programs undertaken by airlines like Air India and Emirates serve as compelling evidence that carriers are steadfast in their determination to uphold and elevate the quality of their interior offerings,” he adds.
Air India has invested about $ $400 million to refurbish cabin interiors of all its existing wide-body aircraft, comprising 27 Boeing B787-8 and 13 B777 aircraft. The refurbishment includes complete overhaul of existing cabin interiors, including the addition of latest generation seats and best in-class inflight entertainment across all classes. The airline also unveiled the first look of what passengers can expect from the aircraft by revealing the first images of its interiors. The aircraft offers a three-class cabin configuration with 316 seats designed by Collins Aerospace: 28 private business class suites with full-flat beds, 24 premium economy seats with extra legroom and multiple other differentiating features, and 264 economy class seats.
Air India also offers the latest-generation Panasonic eX3 in-flight entertainment system and HD screens on all seats of its A350.
Air India has introduced premium economy for the first time in its latest B777-300. The airline plans to deploy the 777s to connect metro cities of the country with more international destinations.
Emirates is also investing over $2 billion in cabin products for its A350 and 777X. The massive programme included retrofit of over 120 aircraft with the latest interiors, plus an array of other service improvements across all cabins.
The cabins are retrofitted with new or reupholstered seats, new panelling, flooring and other cabin features with every cabin class refreshed and new Premium Economy cabins installed. After the retrofit, Emirates now has a total of 120 aircraft offering Premium Economy seats, the only airline in the region to offer this cabin class, and enhanced interiors and features across all other cabins.
Thus, we can see how airlines are acutely aware that their onboard products constitute a crucial aspect of their brand identity. The realization that investing in their brand translates into a tangible return on investment is driving a significant commitment to enhancing aircraft interiors.
This proactive approach underscores the industry’s recognition that a superior in-flight experience contributes not only to passenger satisfaction but also to the overall perception of the airline’s brand, thereby solidifying their commitment to sustained investment in aircraft interiors.
Post COVID, as the aviation industry has seen a steep growth, there is shortage of aircraft. This has led to airlines considering older aircraft by refurbishing the cabin interiors. “There has been a surge in demand of aircraft interiors material and the manufacturers are struggling to meet the demand.,” adds Dr. Srivastava. “Most manufacturers and refurbishment shops have seen much higher workload, which is a reflection of the growth in the aircraft interiors industry,” he concludes.
Evolving technology in aircraft interiors
The landscape of aircraft interiors has undergone a notable transformation in recent years, marked by advancements in both technology and aesthetics. Glain further elaborates this stating passenger-centric technologies now play a decisive role in seat selection.
The technology has evolved from
- simple pneumatic cushions with limited massage functions a decade ago to a diverse range of features such as heating, cooling, and perceived noise reduction.
- Innovations like Euphony, allowing passengers to enjoy in-flight entertainment without headphones, represent game-changing additions
- the latest generation In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) systems boast high-definition, larger, and more responsive touchscreens, offering direct connectivity to seats or personal devices for an enriched entertainment experience.
- IFE content management is another area which has undergone a revolutionary change in last 10 years, with on-demand movie and other content available to the passengers now, giving a homely feel at 38,000 feets above the ground.
This technological evolution has reduced the fuel consumption due to weight reduction and offers a better experience to the passengers.
In terms of aesthetics, cabin interiors have shifted away from the neutral esthetics dominated by airframers, featuring light grey window panels and ceilings explains Glain. “The introduction of high shells and suite doors has empowered designers, providing greater creative freedom and enabling the development of bolder cabins that convey distinct brand identities.”
Lighting has emerged as a key element in crafting stunning cabin interiors, with modern aircraft like the A350 and B787 offering opportunities for innovative lighting solutions. This not only enhances the overall ambiance but also provides airlines with unique branding possibilities widely embraced across the industry.
Together, these evolutions underscore a commitment to redefining air travel standards by seamlessly blending comfort, entertainment, and aesthetics to enhance the passenger experience. Dr. Srivastava however feels that the evolution in aircraft interiors has rather been slow and there is a lot of scope to bring-in technological revolution in cabin interiors. According to him, there is a lot of scope to develop ergonomically designed economy and premium economy seats with a completely new concept. “My company AeroChamp is working on one such innovative concept of seat, which we shall reveal to the industry when our prototype is ready to demonstrate,” Dr. Srivastava adds.
Though seat weight reduction has been the priority for the aircraft cabin interiors industry, which has obviously compromised the passenger comfort; not much has been thought about sustainability and innovation in seat designs, argues Srivastava. “Why hasn’t any one thought of replacing the cushion with an eco-friendly material? Or replacing the plastics in the meal tables, farings and arm caps with a more sustainable and eco-friendly material?” he asks.
With the continuous evolving aircraft interior market and tremendous scope of improvement, it is obvious that the market has a huge potential in coming years. The current indications suggest a sustained growth in commercial aviation volumes and investments in the short and medium term. “The market is expected to further diversify across numerous relatively small markets,” asserts Glain. “Notably, the landscape is witnessing a dichotomy, with basic economy evolving towards a more minimalistic approach, while first class experiences are becoming increasingly opulent,” he adds.
With rising competition among different airlines, the cabin appearance and cabin comfort will play a huge role in customers choosing one airline brand over the other. Aviation industry is passing through one of the best times, with airlines placing large orders. “This has more than doubled the order book of aircraft cabin equipment and interiors material manufacturers. Now the challenge is in meeting the demand, as the certification process takes a long time and most established OEMs are over booked beyond their manufacturing capacity for the next 5 years,” says Srivastava.
Although airlines have a larger order book to meet their growth plans, seat and other cabin equipment manufacturers have a long lead time due to capacity constraint resulting in delayed aircraft delivery. With supply chain woes continuing due to geo-political factors and Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Gaza war, this challenge is bound to get worse.
“Over the next decade, I can see a huge growth for the aircraft interiors industry,” forecasts Dr. Srivastava. “Established interior OEMs will have to strengthen their supply chain to meet the demand. Aircraft manufacturers will have to encourage innovation and new product development by working closely with the startup companies and onboarding them through product listing in their catalogue,” he adds.
The trends highlighted earlier, particularly the emphasis on sustainability, are anticipated to persist and even intensify. “Sustainability is emerging as an urgent priority, and Safran is poised to lead the industry in navigating this transformative shift,” Glain says.
All-in-all the commitment to maintaining a forefront position aligns with the broader trajectory of the aviation industry, as it continues to evolve to meet the changing demands of passengers and the imperative of environmental responsibility.
Note– MRO Business Today is the Principal Media Partner of the 5th MRO SOUTH ASIA SUMMIT 2024 co-located with the MRO XPO INDIA & AIRCRAFT INTERIORS INDIA 2024 to be held on 27,28 & 29 February 2024 at the Le Méridien New Delhi, India.
