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The airline’s fear of innovation

HAMBURG - The Aircraft interiors expo in Hamburg showed newest trends in cabin furnishings. So far, no airline wants to go ahead and create improvements in Economy.

At any given time, there are around 700,000 humans in the skies around the globe, in an aircraft, this year at least three and a half billion passengers are expected, statistically more than half the world's population. Most of them in Economy Class, and that almost always means being hoarded together at minimal comfort.


, © Andreas Spaeth

"A First Class seat can take over two and a half square meters of cabin floor and weigh up to 110 kilograms", says London-based designer Anthony Harcup, "in Business Class it is on average one square meter and 80-90 kilograms, while in Economy just 0.4 square meters and a typical seat weighing twelve to 15 kilograms."

It's obvious: Space in an aircraft is some of the most valuable real estate anywhere. It is not easily increasable, and at the same time airlines have to try to achieve as much revenue as they can with this asset. Once a year seat manufacturers, suppliers, designers and airlines are meeting in Hamburg at the world's leading specialist fair, the Aircraft interiors expo (AIX).

It was held for the 15th time now at Hamburg Messe, as big as never before, more than 530 exhibitors presented their offerings to over 18,000 trade visitors, among them representatives of almost 200 airlines. They discussed about the newest trends in cabin design, that passengers will soon find aboard. Currently fuel costs are as low as rarely before in recent times, so most airlines are making decent profits. A good point in time for innovation, one would think.

Most enhancements are regularly seen in the premium class segment, with ever more lavish offerings in First and Business Class, where most airlines earn the lions share of their income. But in recent years, visionary design studies for super luxury compartments have become fewer, while for example only two years ago Zodiac Aerospace showed a kind of hotel room as a First Suite, complete with sink and running water.


, © Andreas Spaeth

Such escapades were not seen this year, even though some manufacturers such as B/E Aerospace are indulging in great secrecy on their stands, keeping them strictly off limits for most. A fair, at which the majority of trade visitors is not allowed to view the products of an important exhibitor seems to be a contradiction in itself.

Others are much more open: German manufacturer Recaro, one of the world's leading players, showed an interesting study of a "Wellness" seat for Business Class: Similar to car seats in more expensive models, the seat pan can be both heated or cooled through a ventilation system. If such an innovation will ever be installed depends on the interest of airlines.

"The system is still not certified", explains Recaro's CEO Mark Hiller, "but we see a clear tendency towards more individualization on board." At least for a decade now there won't be any new mainstream aircraft types entering the market, after the A350 has come online.

"That's why the whole dynamics of the industry are now focusing on the cabin, and that's good for us", Hiller enthuses, as his company sees an increase of at least 10% in revenue each year.


, © Andreas Spaeth

Recaro mainly produces Economy seats, and in that segment airlines are fairly reluctant when it comes to innovate. The company showed seats at the fair that boast automatic sensors, indicating to the crew exactly which seats or tables are not in an upright position for take off and landing.

"Putting the backrests upright is necessary as the seats are only certified in that setting, they have to withstand up to 16g in an impact", according to Hiller. And still they are getting lighter. Recaro's lightest currently weighs 9.5 kilograms, French company Expliseat offers a lean model of just five kilograms.

This, however, is selling very slowly, at least regional aircraft manufacturer ATR includes a version now in its catalogue. As launch customer Air Tahiti was presented on the fair, operating legs of up to four hours to remote Pacific islands with the turboprop - not a pleasure in this kind of seat.

, © Andreas Spaeth

Airlines are not rushing to introduce enhancements in Economy Class, only if it makes seats simpler and lighter. Currently en vogue are simplified seats for tourist class without a recline function. These are now installed by TAP Air Portugal as a pioneer among legacy carriers in their whole Airbus narrow-body fleet, along what Ryanair and easyJet have done for some time.

"Our customers want low prices, and we give them low prices", said Trey Urbahn, TAP's CCO, at AIX about the strategy change of his airline, which thinks this is the only way to compete with LCCs. And meaning in fact that TAP is decreasing the pitch in the cabins aft of the wings to just 28'' (71cms), after formerly 32'' (81cms) were the industry standard.

"Thanks to the new slim line seats it rather feels like 30'' (76cms)", acknowledges Urbahn. Either way, it's a hard bargaining about centimetres and the lowest possible fares, which of course can only be viable with the least possible comfort. But there are already innovations for Economy Class, potentially able to improve the comfort of every passenger massively - and still not costing the airlines more space.


, © paxex.com

"The market seems to be scared of radical change"

Anthony Harcup and his colleagues at the design firm acumen have already developed staggered Economy seats a decade ago, granting each traveller his or her very own armrest and a fixed side wall to rest the head on. Exactly the things that aremissed most painfully in the cheapest seats. In recent years seat manufacturer Thomson always display this so-called Cozy seat on its stand, not so this year. There was just no airline ready to embrace the concept.

"The market seems to be scared of radical change", says Anthony Harcup. "British Airways introduced the first flat bed in First Class in 1998 and caused a revolution, today every long-haul Business Class offers a lie-flat seat", according to Harcup.

And he is certain: "This is going to happen in Economy as well, it's not the question if, but when, and who will have the first-mover advantage." There is no demand from LCCs, though, but there will be a clearer differentiation in Economy Class stimulating such enhancements. And they will become ever more important, because there are currently about 20,000 passenger aircraft worldwide, a number that will more than double in 20 years time. So the tailwind for the cabin is expected to last.

More innovations from the AIX in Hamburg:

Airbus offers a new configuration in the tail of the A380, which is also available for retrofits: The aft upper deck galley will be partially moved to the back section of the main deck, the spiral staircase gives way to a conventional two-part stairway. Result: 14 extra passenger seats and two and a half additional catering trolleys.


, © Andreas Spaeth

Fokker Technologies offers a 1,5 meter-long panoramic window, initially destined for the Boeing Business Jet. Customers have already signed up, it's supposed to fly in two to three years, a maximum of four windows would structurally possible per aircraft. The whole thing is called iShade and electronically dimmable.

, © Andreas Spaeth

Vision Systems
displayed a study for aircraft windows with built-in video projections of the flight path or information about places the aircraft overflies. Lufthansa representatives showed interest at the show.


, © Andreas Spaeth


Andreas Spaeth


Andreas Spaeth flies. Very frequently. On PaxEx.com one of the leading European aviation journalists shares his personal passenger experiences traveling around the globe.

Follow Andreas on his Twitter @SpaethFlies.


© Andreas Spaeth | Image: paxex.com | 11/04/2016 11:14


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