Flying accolade
A NEWLY designed passenger seat that redistributes weight evenly to make longhaul flights more comfortable and a concept that allows flight crew to remove or add seats to accommodate different flight loads, could be coming to a plane near you, after winning awards at a design competition this week.
Winners of the 11th annual Crystal Cabin Awards were announced at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, where every year, industry designers showcase their most innovative ideas for the future of air travel.
In the category of materials and components, the winning concept was the Octaspring, made with individual foam springs that distribute the passenger's weight evenly for a more comfortable flight.
In addition to being 30% lighter – and by extension good for fuel efficiency – creator Vanema says the springs feature improved ventilation and “custom firmness zones”.
Airbus was also a winner in the category of passenger comfort hardware for its “smart cabin re-configuration” concept in collaboration with Recaro and THK, which features track-mounted seating that can be increased – or decreased – in seat pitch by the cabin crew depending on the passenger load.
Seats can also be removed or added in a few steps.
And for its Delta One Suite, which was touted as the world's first all-suite business class when it was announced last year, American carrier Delta Air Lines took the award for best cabin concept.
Set to enter service this fall aboard the A350, the cabin features suites with sliding doors for privacy, lie-flat beds, customisable ambient lighting, extra stowage compartments for shoes, headphones and laptops, an 18-inch high-resolution monitor and universal power outlet and USB port.
Delta's business class suite beat United Airlines, which was also a finalist for its recently launched Polaris cabin, with flatbeds, electronic dividers and luxury bedding. – AFP Relaxnews