Klaus Koester has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Greenpoint Technologies and the Custom Cabin Division of Safran Passenger Solutions. Koester succeeds former Greenpoint CEO Scott Goodey, who retired after nearly twenty years with Greenpoint and more than thirty years in the aviation industry.
Koester will be based at Greenpoint Headquarters in Bothell, Washington, while overseeing all Safran Custom Cabin companies in Washington and Texas.
Jamco Corporation and All Nippon Airways (ANA), have unveiled a hands-free lavatory lock knob and door handle, developed jointly as part of the ANA Care Promise and Jamco’s “Project Blue Sky” initiative respectively.
The solution allows passengers to use their forearm or elbow to open the door and return to their seats with their hands remaining clean.
According to Jamco, the hands-free lavatory lock knob and door handle are low-cost items which don’t burden airline operational budget and can be installed simply over night by airlines to the existing lavatories without major modification.
ANA is the development partner for the hands-free products, expected to be launched soon as the first operator.
Jamco’s hands-free lavatory door system is the only product worldwide to roll out a demonstration with an airline, having been tested at Tokyo Haneda Airport in August, and well-received by the majority of passengers.
A global, collaborative clean cabin initiative has been announced between Jamco and its affiliates to develop and produce touchless, hygienic cabin interior products for the aerospace industry.
“Project Blue Sky” promotes greater cleanliness and lower passenger stress in commercial aircraft and includes the latest in hygienic and touchless air cabin technologies, across seats, cabin dividers (the Clean Cabin Divider), and lavatories (Hands-Free Toilet Seat/Lid, Hands-Free Waste Flap, and Touchless Faucet).
Jamco is also working to transform the process of aircraft disinfection through its UV disinfection concepts (pictured). The company is pursuing the development of UV disinfection technology; ultraviolet rays have been proven to destroy the DNA structure of viruses and bacteria, thus preventing the spread of diseases. Jamco’s UV disinfection concept includes installing new, human-safe UV technology in lavatories, galleys, and seating areas to enable disinfection and germ elimination during flight.
Greenpoint Technologies has unveiled its sustainable, twin-aisle VIP interior design concept Affinity.
“The Affinity interior concept began with our client’s desire for positive change and a renewed need to connect with nature. Our team drew inspiration from biophilic design, striving to bring the outside in through the creation of living indoor spaces with organic, sustainable design elements. The result is a contemporary, honest and meaningful interior,” explained Annika Wicklund, Greenpoint Design Director.
Greenpoint’s Affinity interior features an expansive main cabin with contemporary architecture and organic details. Key elements include a vast digital skylight extending across the cabin ceiling, a louvred archway with organic greenery and soft LED lighting diffused to mimic daylight. The forward lounge includes an outboard-facing oversized sectional, large viewing display and a circular, layered moss feature wall. The interior incorporates sustainable materials including bamboo silk carpet, organic greenery and natural oak.
AIM Altitude has collaborated with Composites Evolution and Sheffield Hallam University on an research and development project backed by Innovate UK.
Concluding in August 2020, the collaboration has sought to develop a nanocomposite material with exceptional fire and mechanical performance, suitable for use in aircraft interior applications.
The team has developed a unique thermosetting resin system, a blend of polyfurfuryl alcohol (PFA) with a specific additive mix, for the production of glass fibre pre-pregs using a hot-melt process. The PFA resin base is produced from biomass waste, which has a mature, secure, low-cost supply, and does not compete with food production so is completely sustainable. The composite is similar to phenolic, but without the toxic phenol and formaldehyde compounds, making it safer across the whole product lifecycle.
Vernon Thomas, Engineering Manager at AIM Composites, said: “Materials and design options for composites in fire-critical applications are currently very limited. The nanocomposites we have developed have led to enhanced performance all round. It is a better, safer product, which is bio-based and renewable. The fire, smoke and toxicity (FST) performance is better than phenolics. The reduced porosity has great advantages for the finish, reducing costs considerably, and peel strength improvement gives vital increases to integrity and durability. All of which offers airlines greater opportunities for differentiation.”
The resulting cured pre-pregs have been tested at AIM Altitude’s facilities in Cambridgeshire and have shown substantially better fire properties than current phenolic pre-pregs. The surface finish is also superior, which in itself will substantially reduce downstream costs in defect rectification and preparation for decoration. The enhanced fire properties will permit the use of some decorative finishes not currently available for commercial aircraft interiors.
Vistara, a joint venture between TATA group and Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA), has taken took of its first Airbus A321neo aircraft
The aircraft, part of the order of 50 from the Airbus A320 Family signed in 2018, makes Vistara the first airline in South Asia to offer lie-flat beds on a narrowbody aircraft.
The airline also revealed the new cabin products for its A321neo aircraft, a three-class cabin configuration, offering a total of 188 Collins Aerospace seats – 12 in Business Class, 24 in Premium Economy and 152 in Economy.
All feature 4-way adjustable headrests and movable armrests and offer in-seat power/USB Charging Ports. The airline’s Panasonic eX1 In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) system features a content-rich multimedia library that total up to 700 hours of content, available in English, Hindi, Simplified Chinese and Japanese. A 3D Flight Path Map and flight tracker is also accessible. The aircraft is also equipped with wireless connectivity, which will allow passengers to access the internet through onboard Wi-Fi, 3G mobile data through GSM and GPRS for SMS and MMS services, subject to necessary regulatory approvals.
Vistara’s Business Class seats are upholstered in premium, genuine leather that recline into fully-flat beds. Seat functions are controlled by a control unit. Each seat also features a 16-inch High Definition (HD) touchscreen in-seat TV, video handset to navigate the IFE system and generous stowage space. Additionally, there is a headset hook, cocktail table, reading light and coat hook.
The seats in Premium Economy and Economy cabins are upholstered in high quality, breathable fabric that provide an airy, modern in-flight experience. Premium Economy is in its own cabin towards the front of the aircraft, with each seat featuring a 10-inch seatback monitor (as with Economy), audio jack and recline control.
However, as advised by the Government of India, the use of IFE screens in-flight is currently suspended for health and safety reasons.
Leslie Thng, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara said: “This new addition to our fleet reinforces our long-term commitment to international expansion plans, despite the challenges of the current times. The new cabin products on our A321neo aircraft truly complement our promise of providing a premium and world-class flying experience to travellers from and to India.”
Embraer has given a series of cabin enhancements its Praetor 500 (pictured) midsize and Praetor 600 super-midsize business jets.
With 100% fresh air capability, Embraer has made the HEPA filter standard on all Praetor aircraft. Additionally, Embraer has tested and approved the use of MicroShield360 ― a preventative coating system that, when applied to aircraft interiors, continuously inhibits the growth of microbes on surfaces.
Embraer has also developed the only electric lavatory pocket door in the midsize and super-midsize categories. Certified by ANAC in early June 2020, and recently validated by EASA and the FAA, the Praetor 500 and Praetor 600 are the only aircraft in the medium cabin segment to have the emergency exit door in the lavatory, while complying with the latest cabin safety requirements. This new optional feature, which allows the passenger the comfort of opening the lavatory door by just pressing a button, is now available for delivery in both new Praetor jets, and is retrofittable on both Praetor and Legacy 450 and 500 models (starting in the fourth quarter of 2020).
The new electric lavatory pocket door allows 100% of the Praetor aircraft to have the emergency exit in the lavatory — even those under FAA Part 135 operations
“The Praetors truly lead the way as the most disruptive and technologically advanced aircraft in their respective categories for features such as the best-in-class Environmental Control System and cabin altitude. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the incorporation of new health and safety technologies is paramount, which is why we are proud to deliver even more value to Praetor customers with this series of cabin enhancements,” said Michael Amalfitano, President & CEO, Embraer Executive Jets. “Furthermore, with the certification of the new electric lavatory pocket door, the Praetors combine the cleanest cabin environment and compliance with the most stringent operational requirements, such as Part 135.”
Aerospace group FACC has unveiled the LAV4ALL, a retrofittable barrier-free aircraft lavatory.
The lavatory has been designed incorporating advice from wheelchair users and other potential customers.
“The access to the lavatory was one of the most important issues. Inside we wanted to offer enlarged space as generous as possible, said Robert Braunsberger, VP Division Cabin Interiors, FACC.
“Due to the diagonal entrance, the area available for moving has become wider which makes the transfer clearly easier. Now the facilities can be used without assistance. If the lavatory is in the rear cabin area of the aircraft, a wheelchair user can make a U-turn in the galley and enter the lavatory more easily. All handles, levers, and switches are exactly adapted to special needs such as height or size; they are accentuated in colour as well as optimised. With our new products we offer all passengers without exception to be mobile globally,” Braunsberger added.
One new feature is the door opening at a right angle, which blocks off glances from the aisle during entering as long as the door is open and affords more privacy. As soon as the LAV4ALL door is closed, the galley can be entered again and does not need to be blocked for as long as the lavatory is occupied.
“Requirements on aircraft toilets are very high: optimum usability and functionality, highest standards of hygiene, but also economic acquisition and operation are important criteria. With the LAV4ALL, our experts together with external development partners have accomplished to design a comprehensive optimal solution and to bring it into serial production”, states Robert Machtlinger, CEO of FACC.
LAV4ALL has been developed initially as a retrofit solution for the AIRBUS A320 aircraft family considering its existing outside dimensions. Upon request, retrofit solutions for further aircraft types for short, medium, and long haul will follow. This new and innovative product solution from FACC will be promoted globally by FACC Aftermarket Services together with its Distributors and MRO-Stations.
“In addition to our repair services and spare part distribution, we also offer cabin modifications and retrofit solutions through our FACC Aftermarket Services network. Our experts have comprehensive know-how in terms of engineering and certification. To keep the installation time and cost low, we deliver LAV4ALL as ready to install as possible. We want to offer our airline customers a competitive advantage and provide them with a solution even before any aviation regulation adaptions will apply,” said Christian Mundigler, VP FACC Aftermarket Services.
Teague has unveiled a germ isolation concept that adapts aircraft cabin airflow to prevent the spread of viruses.
Provisioned by the airline rather than relying on the passenger, AirShield provides an invisible, effective, and consistent additional line of defense against viral transmission in the cabin.
AirShield is a single 3D-printed component that fits directly onto the Passenger Service Unit (PSU) positioned above every passenger in the cabin. By utilising the airflow from the existing overhead air-gaspers, AirShield transforms freshly purified air into engineered ‘air-blades’ capable of controlling the spread of droplets much more effectively – offering passengers and crew improved protection and peace of mind. As a result, when a passenger breathes, coughs, or sneezes, the water vapor droplets are contained within that passenger’s space and immediately re-directed downwards and out of the cabin to the HEPA filtration units, before they have the opportunity to enter the personal space of a neighbouring passenger.
The curved shape of the blades is designed to maximise the efficiency of the existing system and create protection between neighbouring passengers as well as row-to-row. Additionally, the air blade is positioned around, versus on, the passenger so as not to cause discomfort or irritation.
To better understand how germs travel in the aircraft cabin, Teague initiated a series of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to evaluate various aspects of particulate movement in the cabin environment. The initial results demonstrate the potential to re-direct the spread of exhaled respiratory particles from passengers.
“In an aircraft environment, it is airflow and not the distance that plays the most significant role in the spread of a virus. By engineering the cabin airflow to manage each individual’s exhalations, passengers can have far greater peace of mind when seated nearby,” said Anthony Harcup, Senior Director of Airline Experience at Teague, who co-invented AirShield. “For many airlines, it is simply not commercially viable to reconfigure entire cabins to adhere to social distancing measures – especially in economy class where passenger density is at its highest. A reconfigured interior would also not guarantee passengers the same level of protection from infectious droplets traveling through the cabin when compared to AirShield.”
The AirShield concept is now entering its engineering development phase in anticipation of rapid deployment to help restore confidence in air travel during a time of increasing uncertainty.
HAECO Cabin Solutions has launched three devices to upgrade aircraft lavatories to hands-free operation.
The pre-certified devices include an electric foot-controlled switch for flushing toilets; an infrared sensor-based waste basket lid for disposal of toilet waste, and a refillable hand sanitiser dispenser, eliminating the need for disposable sanitising wipes and paper towels. The dispenser may also be used in other areas of aircraft interiors.
HAECO Cabin Solutions is offering these upgrades individually, to allow airlines to choose the device or devices that would provide them the greatest value.
Doug Rasmussen, President and Group Director of HAECO Cabin Solutions, said: “In our current environment and expectations for the future, passengers would greatly benefit from these enhancements to on-board sanitation. These devices are already familiar to consumers, and we can certify their use in aircraft for integration into the aircraft cabin.
© HMG Aerospace 2020. All rights reserved. Concept by Create Designs.
