In Conversation: APEX Middle East With Peter Tennent
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Peter Tennent
Managing Director
Factorydesign
Graduating from Central School of Art, London in 1984 with a BA Honors degree in Industrial Design, Peter gained over 10 years of valuable experience in product design before joining Factorydesign in 1998 as an equity partner and Director where he is responsible for customer relations, new business, finance and the day-to-day running of the company. Recent clients include Acro Aircraft Seating, Etihad Airways, JetBlue Airways, SAS Scandanavian Airlines and Thompson Aero Seating.
How can the industry address cultural or regional expectations when it comes to cabin design?
Exploring and interpreting cultural and regional attributes and values is hugely important in cabin design. Even if the airline in question is an international operator with a diverse passenger base, the essence of these characteristics can be introduced to great effect. They can help establish a national character, promote a country or region, and act as a valuable differentiator. Without them the world would be full of grey and blue aircraft.
Understanding and addressing these issues is not a simple process but requires time, respect, attention, knowledge and thoughtful analysis. In the case of Etihad Airways, the design teams spent the first month of the programme in an immersion phase before the first line of a sketch was drawn to fully understand these characteristics and how they fitted into the ambitions of a global airline.
Favorite airport/airline lounge?
Airport: Kai Tak, Hong Kong. I miss the drama. Lounge: Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Heathrow. Remains the benchmark others aspire to reach or beat, still experimenting, still exploring, still innovating.
What do you think is the most overlooked aspect of the passenger experience?
Luggage. Depends which cabin you are in but if we consider the premium cabins, particularly long-haul, then I believe there are huge opportunities to reduce the burden of handling and processing luggage from original travel start point to final destination, or we might say from “home to hotel.” Some ventures are already undertaking trials.
“Exploring and interpreting cultural and regional attributes and values is hugely important in cabin design.”
Attendees will be given a tour of the Etihad Innovation Centre featuring reconstructions of the A380 and B787 cabins. Do you have a favorite design feature from these cabins?
Factorydesign is one of the three companies that comprises the EDC (Etihad Design Consortium), the group that undertook all this work, so I have a bias. However, it is impossible to see past the creation of The Residence„¢ – the VIP cabin at the front left of the upper deck. This is an offer which provides two passengers with a personal living room, an en suite shower room and a double bedroom, plus incredibly high levels of service including a Savoy-trained butler. Not only is this a truly unique game-changer in commercial aviation but, for me, it represents the best result of the combined attention of the agencies within the EDC.
Is there an APEX Middle East talk you’re most looking forward to?
Ingo Wuggetzer is on just before me and I really look forward to hearing his talk. I will have to concentrate not to become too absorbed in his visions of the future, and keep focused ready to give my own piece.
First travel memory?
Returning as a child from living in Cypress for four years, I remember the huge excitement of taking what I thought was my first flight. However, I had also lived in the UK and Germany so I must have been on a number of less memorable flights before. The diligent attentions of the modern aviation industry undoubtedly make traveling as a child a much improved and hopefully more memorable experience than it was back then.
Don’t miss Peter at APEX Middle East March 24th for his session on cabin design.