Page 9 - AAA MAY - JUNE 2018 Online Magazine

AHEAD OF

THE PACK

Airlines continue to innovate to
meet changing customer needs

Cabin Innovation
Singapore Airlines new First
Class “Skyrooms” are spectacular
and each suite covers up to four
square meters of floor space with
two-piece sliding doors operated
manually, as opposed to electrically
with other carriers, a source for pro-
Geoffrey Thomas longed malfunctions. AirlineRatings.
com European Editor Andreas
Spaeth jokes there is a similarity to
he late Steve Jobs said that jumbos of one kind or another but the Flying Oval Office on board Air
“innovation distinguishes now you have the new generation Force One because each is domi-
between a leader and a fol- of super planes – the Boeing 787 nated by a massive swivel armchair.
Tlower” and that is certainly and Airbus A350. Because of their Aside from an 81cm High Definition
true in aviation. Nobody, passen- carbon fiber reinforced polymer (HD) touchscreen monitor mounted
gers nor media are interested in the resin mix (CFRP) construction; they on the wall the main feature is a
airline that is a laggard, and in fact are changing the dynamic of travel. separate foldout flatbed measur-
it sets itself up for ridicule by being The well-touted cabin comfort fea- ing 1.93m x 0.68m which comes
last to market. tures of CFRP are attracting savvy complete with mattress bedding,
travelers, who are well tuned in to duvet, and pillows. The bedhead
Although of course, notable look out for airlines and flights that has a gas spring to keep the head
exceptions being the Boeing 737 feature the 787 or A350. up to watch a movie for example
and Boeing 777, which went on to Clearly the passenger appeal while lying down. And for those
dominate their market segments and the compelling economics of who want to fly with the family,
despite being a distant last to the 787 and A350 make the two the dividers between two or even
market. However, one might argue aircraft clear winners in the inno- all three suites on one side of the
that the Boeing products repre- vation stakes. But with more and aisle can come down, creating up to
sented something so different; more airlines opting for the plastic two double beds in the two forward
much wider cabins than their then fantastic cabin; innovation returns Suites 1A/2A and 1F/2F.
main competitors the DC-9 in the as the front line in the battle for Singapore Airlines expects to
case of the 737 and twin engines passengers. The two Asia-based roll out new cabin products to its
with the 777 against the trijet MD11 trendsetters Singapore Airlines entire Airbus A380 fleet by 2020,
and quad A340. And on the sub- and Cathay Pacific have recently as part of an US$1.1 billion upgrade
ject of aircraft, up till recently the revamped cabins to regain market aimed at reinforcing its industry
choice of type of aircraft from an share from the Middle East giants leadership. Aside from the First
innovation perspective was neither that have won them awards from a Class suite, the airline has created
here or there, as all airlines had raft of ratings agencies.

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