Welcome Aboard: Airbus and SAS Show off New A330-300 Interior
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APEX Insight: In a joint presentation Airbus and Scandinavian Airlines showed off the long-haul interior of its A330 aircraft. By merging stylish soft and hard fixtures with advanced IFEC systems from Panasonic, Thales or Zodiac Aerospace, carriers can set the tone for a premium passenger experience with a sleek looking interior.
Press delegates filled into the Airbus booth yesterday for a joint presentation from the OEM and Scandinavian Airlines, SAS but the usual cabin mockup was nowhere to be found. Instead, swanky orange pillows and chairs, coupled with Samsung virtual reality headsets offered visitors a high tech and immersive way to explore Airbus’ cabin interiors and features.
Along with Ingo Wuggetzer, vice-president Marketing, Airbus, SAS representatives Gunilla Ait El Mekki, director, Product Concepts and Gustaf Öholm, senior manager, Onboard Concepts and Service Design, debuted the features of the new interior of the long-haul cabin.
Wuggetzer explained that one of Airbus’ approaches to cabin design was to present the airline, and in turn its passengers, with more choice. On A330 aircraft, airlines can opt for entertainment and connectivity solutions from Panasonic, Thales or Zodiac Aerospace. Airbus also provides its own connectivity solution, but ultimately, the airline selected Zodiac’s RAVE Light IFE seat-centric solution and Panasonic’s Global Communications Suite for connectivity.
While the airline has paused its short-haul connectivity program, the take up rate on the long-haul business cabin is an impressive 90 percent. The key to this, Gunilla Ait El Mekki, notes, is offering Wi-Fi for free: “It has really been a success. Panasonic had to double up the volume on one of the satellites to provide more bandwidth.”
In the premium economy cabin, SAS Plus, passenger seats offer 19-inch width and 38-inch pitch. According to Wuggetzer, the demand for premium economy is growing, with estimates showing that by 2020, over 40 airlines will be offering the enhanced economy option.
A full-range of over 600-million LED mood lighting options from Diehl set the ambience for the passenger journey. “We always call it mood lighting, but it’s also about health,” Wuggetzer said. Öholm was quick to quip that in Scandinavia where it’s often dark, light can offer some therapy. On SAS flights, the system mimics the Nordic sunrise and sunset.
Wuggetzer pointed out another big improvement: “The A330 is a lot quieter than the 787. It’s not really known, but it’s a fact.”
SAS is the first European operator of Airbus’ A330-300 242-tonne aircraft, having received its first delivery September 21 in Toulouse, with its second coming October 1.