Ameco and Lufthansa Technik present a jointly developed narrow-body aircraft cabin for the first time. ‘Nature’s Touch’ is based on an Airbus ACJ320 Business Jet as cabin concept, but the design anticipates the adaption to a Boeing 737 BBJ configuration as well.
The VIP cabin is one of the first concrete and publicly visible results of the cooperation in business aircraft services for Chinese clients, which both companies signed at ABACE 2018.
The new business jet cabin layout announced at ABACE 2019 combines the cultures of East and West, exploring the harmonious beauty in the symbiosis of nature, technology and human demands offering a brand new business jet travelling experience for customers.
Feng Bin, Ameco’s Deputy General Manager of Beijing Base & Leading Head of Aircraft Cabin Solutions Product Business Unit, said: “With the rapid development of the times, the combination of advanced intelligent technology and a humanized cabin, which is the embodiment of the innovation concept, engineering technology and process quality, will be supported. Inheritance of intelligence and culture, combination of smart and comfortable cabin, all of this is the common expectation of Ameco and Lufthansa Technik technology. The collision between the East and the West brings a new development direction for business jet cabin products.”
Jan Grube, Head of Asia Sales at Lufthansa Technik, added: “With this new concept we want to showcase our joint vision for the next generation of cabin technology. Here, Chinese design and German technology play hand in hand. Lufthansa Technik’s many years of experience in perfect craftsmanship and engineering know-how and Ameco’s deep insights into the Chinese culture and customer wishes form a symbiosis that can fulfil every wish – expressed or unspoken – for Chinese customers.”
Modernism Meets Confucianism
The unique new VIP cabin features a live-cooking aircraft galley, a guest area, a lounge, a dining/meeting area, a cinema, and a master bedroom. Taking full consideration of both customer needs and space efficiency, a convertible sofa, a coffee table in the multi-functional lounge, and a bar with transformable dividers are there to ensure a flexible usage. The dining/meeting area offers several modes such as business, entertainment, and leisure.
Many traditional Chinese colors have been used such as creamy, moon-light beige, combining with bamboo green, jade, as well as crimson. Textile, subtle stripes simulating bamboo wood grain are complemented by natural materials such as marble, genuine leather, wool and silk. The exuberant diversification of colors and textures expresses the vitality of nature.
Bamboo, which stands tall and straight, never withering, but being unyielding, has been a symbol of character, moral integrity, resistance, modesty and loyalty since ancient times.
Therefore, the designers extracted the elements of bamboo knuckles, leaves, and woven artifacts, and used them geometrically, to embody the Eastern culture while achieving the modern beauty in the business jet cabin.
Human-oriented Smart Technology
In order to create a convenient and comfortable flight experience, all interfaces are integrated into the cabin environment in a gentle way, like hidden passenger system control units (PCU), intelligent cabin signs, smart touch-screen desktops, smart window shade glass and ambient-lights. An absolute technical innovation is the installation of the roll-up/down screen technology in the cinema. A voice and gesture recognition simplifies the handling of the cabin management (CMS) and inflight entertainment system (IFE).
The usage of the cabin will be enhanced by creating matching mood and surrounding, depending on the passengers’ requirement. For a business scenario the displays could show latest data, live connected to the global business networks via cloud services. Wireless charging on many horizontal surfaces is available for personal devices, video conferencing and full connectivity is provided by high-speed internet connection. Cabin lights and surrounding are matched to a business like ambience, the integrated bar closes off the meeting area in the cabin.
In a selected leisure and entertainment scenario, the cabin displays show data from music and entertainment servers and visualizes the music mood. Projections on lining and ceiling enhance the feeling of well-being and relaxation. The bar area is now open, the open roller shutters as well as the consistent lighting concept connect the lounge with the dining area for the passengers. A cinema room finishes the entertainment package with today’s largest screen (75″) in a narrow body including ambient lights and an all new louvered ceiling concept.
Visitors of the ABACE 2019 will have the opportunity to get an introduction to the complete cabin of ‘Nature’s Touch’ at the Ameco booth (#B335, hall B) or the Lufthansa Technik booth (#B323, hall B).
