UPDATED: AIX 2022 News In Brief

Teledyne Controls, AJW Technique Interiors, Unum Aircraft Seating, Airbus, Recaro Aircraft Seating, Panasonic Avionics, Diehl Aviation, Condor, Lufthansa Technik, Ultrafabrics

Recaro Aircraft Seating wins order from Philippine Airlines: The Recaro Aircraft Seating BL3510 economy class seat was selected by Philippine Airlines for a retrofit of a selected number of Airbus A320 aircraft. Delivery of the spare pax seats began this month. As a part of the Philippine-based airline’s fleet modification strategy, the overhaul involves the installation of a 180-seat cabin configuration on each of the 11 A320 aircraft that are destined for short-haul high-traffic domestic routes to be operated by the airline’s PAL express subsidiary. The selected A320 aircraft were originally equipped with a mixed 156-seat configuration for Asian regional flights of the mainline carrier PAL, which now deploys larger Airbus A321 aircraft with business, premium and economy class seating on said regional routes. The BL3510 economy class seat is a reliable product designed for short-haul flights, and provides passengers with ideal ergonomic positioning for greater comfort. The cornerstone of the Recaro business, the customer service team is committed to providing aftersales care through the entire lifecycle of the seat.

Satair, Siemens renew APAC distribution deal: Satair and Siemens have signed a contract to renew their exclusive distribution agreement covering airborne fire protection systems including smoke detectors for the Asia Pacific. In addition to spares distribution activities, Satair also operates an authorised repair station for Siemens in Singapore to support the customers in the Asia Pacific. Siemens S.A.S. specialises in the field of designing, manufacturing and selling airborne fire protection systems. Satair and Siemens S.A.S. have been working in close collaboration since 1999 with a repair station in Singapore being established in 2006. “We are pleased to strengthen our good partnership with Siemens and truly value their continued trust in Satair. We will continue our focused efforts to deliver world-class support to both our mutual customers and Siemens,” said Rene Frandsen, Managing Director for Satair Singapore. “We are pleased to renew this agreement and enhance our close relationship with Satair. We trust that this collaboration will ensure a solid foundation to provide support for our customers as we recover from the pandemic together,” said Andry Rakotomanga, Director of Aerospace Operations for Siemens.

Recaro Aircraft Seating selected by KLM, Transavia: Recaro Aircraft Seating(Recaro) was selected by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM), Transavia France and Netherlands-based Transavia Airlines to outfit new Airbus aircraft with economy class seats. Delivery of the BL3710 and SL3710 on the 100 A320 and A321 aircraft begins in summer 2023. The KLM aircraft will be configured in a hybrid layout, with the BL3710 being installed at the front of the cabin and followed by the SL3710. Transavia Airlines and Transavia France will be fully equipped with the SL3710. Both seats are customised with additional features, including a BYOD holder (for KLM only) and a high-power USB-C outlet into the backrest, which will help passengers stay connected during flight. In addition, redesigned backrests on both the SL3710 and BL3710 will further enhance passenger comfort whilst having a weight reduction benefit. “Our flexible and dynamic customer team, in tandem with our aligned goals on sustainability, has resulted in a strong partnership with KLM, Transavia Airlines and Transavia France,” said Dr. Mark Hiller, CEO of Recaro Aircraft Seating and Recaro Holding. “I am confident that our seats will serve their passengers well for many years to come.” Developed with sustainability in-mind, both seats receive top marks in lightweight design, which support in reducing fuel costs and carbon emissions for the aircraft. The slim backrest of the Recaro SL3710 enhances living space and maximises comfort, while the BL3710 supports passengers on short and medium-haul flights with its award-winning ergonomic seat design.

New UK CAA Certification for Teledyne ACES system: Teledyne Controls, the aircraft data management business and subsidiary of Teledyne Technologies, has obtained CAA Supplemental Type Certification (STC) approval for installation of its Aircraft Cabin Environment Sensor (ACES) on the Airbus A320 aircraft series. Teledyne ACES is an autonomous solution that enables aircraft operators to monitor, measure and analyse air quality in the cabin and flight deck, to help them ensure a safe and comfortable flying experience for passengers and crew. Teledyne ACES was FAA certified for the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 series last year and has been implemented at four carriers in the US, UK, and Australia. With wireless connectivity to a secure cloud service portal, Teledyne ACES laboratory-grade sensor technology continuously monitors and records the air quality in the cabin and flight deck for potentially harmful contaminants. The extensive air quality data collected during flight is available in real‑time on any mobile device through the ACES mobile app, and via secure web access to the ACES Cloud Service Portal, which provides configurable dashboards, custom alerts, and comprehensive reports that enable the operator to validate the air quality in the airplane, identify emerging issues and document maintenance efforts.

AJW Technique Interiors announce launch customer for SkyLeather: AJW Technique Interiors, part of the AJW Group, announced Air Serbia as the launch customer for its SkyLeather range of seat coverings. SkyLeather is a sustainable, manmade material offering significant weight savings over natural leather. Produced by manufacturing partner Autostop Aviation, its durability and easy clean surface reduces airline’s Direct Maintenance Costs (DMC) and its lightweight construction reduces fuel costs. The synthetic 100 percent Polyurethane material, which offers advantages to seat maintenance, cabin aesthetics and passenger well-being, will be installed on to Air Serbia’s fleet of A320 aircraft. Jiří Marek CEO of Air Serbia said “We have worked closely with the AJW Technique Interiors design team over the last 12 months and are delighted to have selected SkyLeather for our A320 platform. This innovative product will bring significant fuel savings and also contribute to Air Serbia’s commitment to introduce sustainable products wherever possible across the organisation.” Christopher Whiteside, chairman and CEO of AJW Group, said “We are excited to have been chosen by Air Serbia, a major legacy carrier, and look forward to supporting their drive towards sustainability.”

Mark Hacker joins Unum as chief technology officer: Unum Aircraft Seating announced the appointment of Mark Hacker as its chief technology officer (CTO), who will be responsible for engineering and certification of Unum’s seating products. Hacker joins Unum with more than 26 years of experience in engineering and has worked with key companies in the industry including Rolls-Royce, Zodiac Aerospace and B/E Aerospace, prior to its acquisition by Rockwell Collins in 2017. Hacker’s most recent role was at NORDAM as an engineering consultant. Chris Brady, executive chairman and CEO, Unum, says: “I’ve known Mark for a number of years and was keen to get him onboard to help with the development of Unum One. Since joining the Unum team, he has played an extensive role in enhancing our prototype seat ahead of Aircraft Interiors International (AIX) and has provided great advice and solutions to our fellow budding engineers. He’s a great addition to the team and will be central in helping us to achieve certification of Unum One.” Hacker says: “As CTO, my role is incredibly varied, meaning no day is the same. As Unum is a relatively young company, there is lots to keep me busy from planning design development to recruitment and building the product itself.”

Airbus launches Airspace Link HBCplus: Airbus has launched Airspace Link HBCplus, its new flexible satellite connectivity solution that will be offered as an SFE line-fit catalogue option and also for retrofit on all Airbus programmes. HBCplus, which initially encompasses Ka-band services, will enable airlines to connect to a choice of Managed Service Providers (MSPs) via a new certified terminal and radome built as part of the aircraft. In the future it is planned to extend HBCplus to include MSPs which offer Ku-band services. Airbus has selected connectivity satcom leader Inmarsat as the first MSP, contributing its GX Aviation inflight broadband solution which offers reliable and seamless passenger experience with global coverage and capacity for future growth. Additional MSPs will join the HBCplus offering in due course. Philippe Carette, president of Inmarsat Aviation, said: “We are honoured that Airbus has chosen Inmarsat as the first Managed Service Provider for this transformative connectivity catalogue solution and is putting its trust in our award-winning GX Aviation service across all of its aircraft programmes. Inmarsat looks forward to working closely with our partners Airbus and SPI to deliver continuous innovation for airlines and their passengers worldwide.”

Recaro Aircraft Seating partners with Panasonic Avionics: Recaro Aircraft Seating has partnered with Panasonic Avionics to unveil a new in-flight entertainment seat-end solution installed on the CL3810 Economy Class seat. The lightweight approach to seating taken by Recaro is further enhanced by the weight savings from the IFE solution. Both Astrova, by Panasonic Avionics, and CL3810 seat are also built with modularity in-mind to minimize maintenance costs for airlines. The integration of the Astrova seat-end solution into the CL3810 aims to optimise the passenger journey for single-aisle and twin-aisle aircraft. While experiencing the comforts of the CL3810 seat, travellers can simultaneously enjoy entertainment amenities such as a 4K OLED screen with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Panasonic’s award-winning Bluetooth technology, as well as 67W of USB-C power to fast-charge smart devices.

Diehl collaborates with Airbus on touchless lavatory: In the future, Diehl Aviation will market its touchless lavatory in collaboration with aircraft manufacturer Airbus. Diehl Aviation and Airbus have decided to collaborate in offering touchless lavatory features for retrofits and upgrades in the future. As a result, Diehl will now also offer and market its touchless lavatory features through Airbus’s sales channels. This collaboration will also achieve a significantly higher scope of sales for its latest touchless solutions. Airline customers can have their aircraft retrofitted with the complete lavatory and also with individual features. A special conversion kit enables quick installation in all lavatories on board all A320 Family and A330ceo aircraft models. Along with its touchless features for the lavatory, Diehl Aviation is in the development process of a complete product family with touchless functions that meet passengers’ increased sense of hygiene and safety. All relevant functions from the waste flap and the water tap to the toilet lid and the toilet flush can now be operated touchless and completely seamlessly in the lavatory. Diehl Aviation is in the process of developing other touchless functions to supplement the touchless portfolio. The Multi Motor Control Unit (MMCU) especially developed by Diehl Aviation usually controls the functions from a central location. It can be very easily installed with minor modifications in lavatories already in use.

Condor opts for Lufthansa Technik’s HeatNOW: Condor Flugdienst GmbH and Lufthansa Technik AG have signed a contract for the installation of Lufthansa Technik’s newly developed HeatNOW floor heating system in the A320 aircraft fleet. Cold spots in aircraft are a well-known problem: HeatNOW is a heating system based on a patented conductive coating that effectively prevents the formation of cold areas in the aircraft. The heating pad consists of a heating layer between two additional protective layers. Connected to the on-board power, the electrically conductive layer acts as a resistor and heats itself in a self-regulating manner. The power can be regulated in various stages as required. HeatNOW thus provides an even and homogeneous heating of the floor areas.

FACC presents cabin concept for next-generation aircraft: FACC has presented a new aircraft cabin concept which focuses on the needs of passengers – and is made of renewable materials. The next generation of passenger aircraft will be setting new standards in terms of sustainability and passenger comfort. When creating the BIOS FUTURE CABIN, the main focus was placed on the needs of passengers and the use of sustainable materials. The company has opted for a resin derived from sugar cane, which has been optimized for use in aviation through intensive research work. “When redesigning the aircraft interior, we paid particular attention to making efficient use of the available space,” explains CEO Robert Machtlinger. The result: 20 percent more room to move and 50 percent more storage space compared to current-generation aircraft. This was made possible by a design approach that integrates seamlessly with the load-bearing elements of the aircraft. In addition, large screens and intelligent surfaces offer a multimedia experience: the entire backrest is transformed into a screen that can be connected to the passenger’s own device, if so desired, and can also play smartphone apps from third-party providers. Via a dedicated control centre, each passenger can adjust the ventilation or individually configure design elements.

Ultrafabrics launches Atago material: High-end performance fabric manufacturer, Ultrafabrics, has partnered with Tapis Corporation and Franklin Products to create Atago, a new fabric solution incorporating a state-of-the-art fire-blocking backcloth with Ultrafabrics’s industry-leading haptics, and is named after the Atago Shrine in Tokyo, erected in 1603 to protect the residents from fire. “Ultrafabrics exclusively partnered with Tapis for the initial distribution of this collection, said Jason Estes, vice president Global Sales and Marketing at Tapis. “The upholstery system is provided from one source, reducing the need to manage multiple suppliers while assisting with inventory management. No longer will the cushion, dress cover and material need to be purchased separately. This streamlined supply chain reduces the amount of sewing and assembly required, reduces overall cycle time in manufacturing, and provides higher-level assembly at a reduced cost. Most importantly, it decreases fuel consumption and emissions and adds passenger comfort by eliminating rigid fire blockers. The inherent flame retardant properties of Atago exceed expectations: When combined with a traditional high-resilient polyurethane foam cushion, Atago passes burn tests with exceptional results. This prevents the need for additional fire-blocking fabric or introducing foam additives, such as graphite, to meet flammability requirements.

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