What criteria does it work on? Airbus to improve cabin comfort?
Anaïs Marzo - Some people can be stressed when they fly, and that's why there are a number of things to bear in mind when planning your flight. Airbus is working to improve the onboard experience. These are both visible and invisible elements for passengers. Like lighting scenarios, for example. LED lighting technology on long-haul flights saves up to 3 hours off the passenger's internal clock on the effect of jet lag. We're particularly proud of what Airbus has achieved in this area, with the possibility of up to 16 million lighting scenarios. We are also working on temperature zones. It's possible to adapt the temperature to each space, so where there are more passengers, for example, it's possible to diffuse more fresh air. All this helps to improve well-being and comfort. Last but not least, another essential element of in-cabin well-being is noise control. We work on several factors: noise from outside the aircraft, noise from systems inside the aircraft, intermittent noise from systems, and noise from interior components such as hatches and latches. New-generation Airbus aircraft are now considered to be among the quietest in the world.
Is it possible to create a revolutionary cabin design? In what areas?
Anaïs Marzo - A revolutionary design could be possible after 2035 new hydrogen-powered aircraft that we are working on, which could have a different design from current conventional aircraft, such as a "flying wing" shape. But until then, we're talking about the ongoing evolution of the cab. These include higher ceilings for a greater sense of space, larger luggage compartments and offering almost 60% more capacity on the new A320 Family aircraft. As a result, we have gone from 5 to 8 baggage items in 2 overhead bins. We also have wider windows that can be darkened à la carte without an external shutter.. In addition, the new Airbus A350s have totally flat floors, with no visible cables, and associated miniaturised boxes under the seats, giving each passenger more legroom.
How do you integrate digital technology on board?
Anaïs Marzo - Because of Covid, we have worked hard on the contactless offer and on-board connected objects. For example, food management assistance with the possibility of scanning meal offers and doing away with paper menus. Passengers can order on their screen or even reserve their meal before the flight when booking their ticket, enabling airlines to better manage stocks and personalise their service.
Seat pitch and recline in economy class: are there ways of making the densification bearable?
Anaïs Marzo - In economy class, seat manufacturers have worked hard on comfort. Although the distance between the seats has been reduced slightly, from 32 to 30 inches (81.5 cm to 76.2 cm), the comfort offered is exactly the same, with even more room for the passenger.. The design of the seats is more ergonomic, the seat foam is thinner but still adapted to the comfort of each passenger, and the integration of the magazine holders in the top of the backrest gives more room at knee level to extend the legs. We've also managed to offer 2.54 cm more shoulder room per passenger in the A320 Family cabins! And all with less weight for the aircraft...
What precisely can be done to reduce this weight?
Anaïs Marzo - We have already made aircraft much lighter and we expect to see further gains thanks to new models of seats, touch-sensitive video screens, smaller IFE enclosures [...for the video]. And, of course, there's the fuselage structure itself, and the interior linings of aircraft made from lighter composite materials. We are also working on circular economy designs, to ensure that the materials used can be reused in our industry or elsewhere.
Can we imagine cabin interiors that evolve with personalised spaces for each activity?
Anaïs Marzo - As I said, we will certainly need to wait for new types of aircraft with new technology and designs to enter service before radically different cabin concepts emerge. We have a number of ideas for "family spaces" or "family centres". "meeting zone .... If, for example, we decide touse the cargo hold for bunksAt the same time, we need to find solutions for loading freight and see how these berths can be made accessible to people with reduced mobility. All these issues around new facilities are still limited in their application because of the requirements of certification extremely high standards in our aerospace sector. But we have a lot of ideas and we continue to innovate in the cabin to offer passengers even greater comfort.
