2022 Crystal Cabin Awards Shortlist Features Revolutionary New Cabin Concepts
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The Crystal Cabin Awards (CCA) Association has published its shortlist of entries for the 2022 awards. This year’s entries include some compelling concepts for novel cabin seating, sustainable solutions in materials, improved cabin environments and hygiene solutions, and digital innovations that will enhance the passenger experience.
The Elevate “floating furniture” concept presented by Teague and NORDAM does away with standard seat track dependence to hold furnishings securely. Instead, Elevate leverages NORDAM’s Nbrace™ interiors attachment system to suspend suite furniture from sidewall and aisle locations to create a cabin that feels more like home. This flexible furniture placement system could allow passengers to travel on single-aisle business class, with more room, increased bed length, width, personal space, and privacy.
Another appealing home-style approach to cabin furnishings making the CCA shortlist is Finnair’s new AirLoungeTM business class seat, developed by Collins Aerospace, PriestmanGoode and Tangerine.
Other interiors innovations shortlisted include the pivoting Shift Cabin Interior, an entry by student Jiayi Yu from the University of Reutlingen, the MMILLENNIUMM multi-surface folding bed seating concept AirSleeper, and the twin-tiered NeXtGC by the German Aerospace Center.
Improving accessibility, the Air 4 All system submitted by collaborators Flying Disabled, PriestmanGoode, SWS Certification and Sunrise Medical would enable powered wheelchair users to remain seated in their own wheelchair while flying.
The Covid-19 pandemic has also influenced entries this year, with several participants submitting entries for cabin hygiene solutions. They include the AirShield by Pexco Aerospace in Cooperation with Teague and Weigele Aerospace’s Vientum clean air system. Weigele claims that in tests using Sars-Cov-2 surrogates, the technology performed 46 times better than conventional HEPA technology and 8.7 times better than UV/HEPA combined air filtration technology.
In its entry, Safran Cabin has tackled a long-standing safety risk for airlines with a new Fire Resistant Cargo Container, which can inhibit intense Category D fires—like those produced by lithium-ion batteries—for up to six hours. Caeli Nova submitted a new Cordillera emergency oxygenation system which would allow depressurized aircraft to fly at higher altitudes, potentially shortening their flight-time to the nearest airport for an emergency landing while also reducing CO2 emissions.
The environment is front-of-mind for many participants in the 2022 CCAs, with alternatives submitted to reduce waste in products and materials. The ELeather Essence solution recycles leather waste to produce upholstery and save on raw materials. The Olivenleder® submission by Lantal Textiles in cooperation with Tenerías Omega introduces a wet-green® leather tanning process that uses vegetable oils instead of chrome- and gasoline-based chemicals. Aircraft seat cushion maker Metzo in collaboration with The Vita Group, submitted a recycling system for old seat cushions reducing land-fill and incinerator waste. RECARO Aircraft Seating submitted a modular, lightweight plug-in seat table system that would cut aircraft CO2 emissions.
Airbus Operations submitted a technology solution to reduce passenger food waste. The AI-based Airspace Food Scanner captures passengers’ food consumption data, giving airlines valuable insights to adjust their catering to meet demand.
In the digital space, entries include Gentex Corporation’s proposal for an onboard iris biometric scanning system, AerQ’s AERENA platform to help airlines quickly and cheaply adapt onboard apps, the ACM Aircraft Cabin Modification’s MYZONE active noise cancellation (ANC) system and the new IFE-based e-retail platform KrisShop on KrisWorld developed by Singapore Airlines, airfree and Thales.
The 28 expert jurors will select three finalists in each of the CCA categories: Cabin Concepts, Cabin Systems, Health & Safety, IFEC & Digital Services, Material & Components,” Passenger Comfort, Sustainable Cabin, and University. The list of finalists will be announced at the beginning of May and the awards will be given out in a special ceremony on June 14, during the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg.