Future of aircraft interiors

The aviation industry stands on the brink of a transformative era, driven by a surge in technological advancements and shifting passenger expectations. As we delve into the future of aircraft interiors, we uncover a landscape ripe for disruption and innovation.

In this comprehensive report 'Aircraft Interiors: A Disruptive Future', part of the Aviation 2030 series, we explore the pivotal trends shaping the sector. From the proliferation of ultra-long-haul flights to the relentless pursuit of sustainability, the industry faces a complex array of challenges and opportunities.

At the heart of this evolution is the passenger experience, where comfort, efficiency, and technology converge to redefine what it means to fly. The report, authored by Chris Brown, delves into the nuances of cabin design, examining how airlines can leverage new materials, smart technologies, and creative layouts to enhance the in-flight experience.

As we navigate through the insights provided by the report, we find that the future of aircraft interiors is not just about aesthetic appeal but also about practicality and responsiveness to global trends.

Challenges & innovation

In the post-pandemic market, airlines face some of the most challenging circumstances in a generation, as they struggle to recoup debts in a climate of ferocious competition and unprecedented cost and supply constraints.

At the same time, ultra-long-haul flights are proliferating, digitalisation is evolving, and sustainability continues to climb the agenda. These trends are forcing innovation throughout the passenger experience as airlines compete to maximise comfort and efficiency, minimise weight, and make best use of new technology.

Aircraft interiors are critical to this agenda and as a consequence are back in the spotlight. However, the interiors sector suffers from a dearth of scaled suppliers, most of whom already face large backlogs. Inevitably, this creates opportunities for disruptors, especially those able to serve the needs of smaller airlines.

Commercial aircraft interiors value by system segmentation (UK market as example)

Source: INSIGHT_14 - The UK Cabin Opportunity - May 2020. Credit: The Aerospace Technology Institute

Passenger expectations are evolving

Evolving passenger expectations present airlines with a complex design challenge demanding a range of responses, some of which are specific to premium segments only, others of which impact all cabin classes. Across the board, airlines are in urgent need of solution for each of the following passenger criteria:

Sustainability: airlines face pressure from governments, regulators and passengers over environmental impact, which can be reduced through eco-friendly materials in cabin interiors, and lighter-weight materials to reduce take-off weight and improve fuel efficiency, as well as designing for cyclical end-of-life management.
Accessibility: like all sectors, airlines are expected to be as inclusive as possible. Cabin facilities should be fully accessible to those with impaired mobility.
Hygiene: post pandemic, passengers place a greater premium than ever on cleanliness. Interiors can reflect this trend by implementing anti-microbial surfaces, better air purification systems, and materials that are easy to disinfect.
Overhead storage: a recurrent frustration for passengers is being asked to check cabin baggage due to inadequate onboard storage, a process that also impacts boarding and disembarking time. Composite materials offer opportunities to reduce weight and increase structural strength of cabin components, allowing for slimmer designs and expanded cabin storage.
Noise: though cabin noise has reduced over the past few decades, acoustic enhancements have always been a challenge. Better sound insulation still offers opportunities to enhance the flying experience.
Smart interiors: the internet of things (IoT) is now becoming mainstream, meaning interiors are expected to become increasingly smart too. Sensor technologies can allow multiple aspects of aircraft interiors to preemptively spot and flag problems, reducing turnaround times and maintenance costs.

The premium market

For the premium segment, airlines must additionally address:

Comfort and space: passengers expect ever-increasing comfort and privacy in business and first-class cabins.
Aesthetics: in the Instagram age, passengers value aesthetics more than ever, placing a premium on modern, attractive interiors, natural tones, and sympathetic lighting.
Smart seats: passengers expect premium seats to be equipped with smart technology, enabling customisable features including adjustable seat firmness, temperature control, and massage functions.
Workability: business travellers now expect to be able to work and connect from the sky as the norm, which airlines can facilitate with appropriate design and 5G/ satellite connectivity.
Luxury amenities: passengers expect the standards of luxury they are used to elsewhere, which are often high. Airlines can upgrade their overall standards through additional amenities such as lounges and bars, spa facilities, and other innovations.

The premium market

Across all classes, wheelchair access is an area receiving long overdue focus, as airlines attempt to address the reluctance of wheelchair users to fly caused by widespread mishandling of equipment and a lack of accessible, universally designed facilities.

Owing to advocacy by groups such as Air4All, WheelchairTravel.org, All Wheels Up, AeroFix and others, legislative moves are being made to enforce greater wheelchair accessibility, particularly to airline lavatories.

At the same time, seat designs are emerging, both as concepts and products actively pursuing certification, that would facilitate wheelchair users to fly in their own chairs, including Molon Labe Seating’s Freedom Seat, Collins Aerospace and the (Wichita State University) National Institute for Aviation Research’s Fly Your Wheels Suite, and Delta / Air4All’s recent Q’Straint-enabled prototype with both economy and premium economy designs.

Airlines embarking on major changes to their interiors have an opportunity to get ahead of this curve and win a wide range of impaired-mobility passengers (or PRMs - Passengers with Reduced Mobility) being deterred from flying under the status quo.

Trendsetters

As airlines innovate to enhance the flying experience, trendsetters have an opportunity to build loyalty and poach custom from competitors. Examples include:

Lie flat bed for economy class

Air New Zealand will be first to introduce a lie-flat bed for economy class, in the form of bunk beds at the rear of the cabin bookable by the hour.1 Several startup interior players look to disrupt things further in a conservative industry with stacked seating enabling almost lie flat with close to premium economy densities.

Socialise and dine mid-air

Virgin Atlantic has launched its ‘Retreat suite’ allowing up to four people to dine and chat together during a flight.2

Lounge chairs

Finnair is one airline seeking to replicate the ergonomics and comfort of home, with its new wide-back lounge chair.3

Residence in the sky

Etihad offers a 120sq.ft. apartment in their A380s, part of a trend for those with deep pockets who don’t want the inconvenience of private jet ownership, but who are willing to pay for suites or residences in the air. 4

Interiors of the future are yet to be designed

Interiors are set for major change as operators respond to the growing list of customer demands. Some of the concepts in play are:

Repurposing cargo space: Taking advantage of existing cargo space to offer gyms, yoga studios, or other amenities.
Panoramic views: Enlarging windows to offer panoramic views and natural light to enhance the flying experience.
Repurposing partition space: Reducing the partition between economy and business cabins to allow for additional seating and open up the aircraft interior.
Wellness service: Creating in-flight spas to minister to the growing demand for wellness services.
Capsule type interiors: Offering a fully flat bed to passengers in the privacy of separate pods or booths.
Office desk-style seating: Creating collaborative and connected spaces for work in the skies.

This list is not exhaustive and we expect to see a spate of innovation in the area, but airlines will need to be clear about the commercial feasibility of such concepts and the relevance to particular cabin class offerings before moving to roll out.

Given aviation’s conversative nature, we would expect only a minority of such concepts to achieve regulatory approval, airline procurement and the funding required in the next 20-30 years.

Case study: captive advertising

While innovation in interiors naturally focuses on customer experience, or light-weighting from an airline perspective, ancillary revenue opportunities with a customer experience also exist.

Pt21 Solutions is a full-service aircraft interior design and MRO company. Their m-commerce system, developed in collaboration with in-flight digital ecosystem provider Cabanner, takes advantage of the captive space opportunity in short-haul flights to offer a tenfold increase in the capacity and touchpoints of legacy transport advertising, by providing passengers with an in-flight tool to plan activities and purchases at their destinations.

The platform, installed as a smart screen in the passenger’s seat, achieves this by displaying destination-specific goods and experiences. Using multiple languages, it has the potential to enhance customer holiday experience and satisfaction whilst growing airline revenue through ancillary sales via selected partners across airports, retail, mobility, and tourism. Being a fully digital solution, it allows airlines to dispense with heavy and resource-intensive in-flight magazines, notching up a sustainability win, whilst offering brand enhancement opportunities for airlines and destination marketers.

New thinking needed

Start-up airlines are often the bravest with new ideas. Yet smaller fleets are likely to face difficulties when it comes to making these new interiors a reality, as segment spending is dominated by major manufacturers competing for larger programs.

Smaller fleets, especially those with fewer than 50 aircraft, are underserved when it comes to vendors willing to supply them with premium seating options, and face a number of hurdles including minimum order requirements, economies of scale, and limited options for customisation and product tailoring.

However, airlines that ignore the trend for enhanced cabin experiences are likely to lose marketability, customers, and loyalty. Even smaller airlines must adapt to changing passenger expectations around comfort and in-flight experience, as well as sustainability.

Now is the time for more airlines to grasp this issue and build workable strategic responses, grounded in a deep understanding of passenger requirements and sector trends. This is a substantial piece of work, requiring extensive research. Airlines need to know, not guess, the answers to questions such as:

What level of investment is justified in redesigning the cabin space?
Where are the best first mover opportunities to launch new cabin experiences?
What ticket price increments are passengers willing to spend for added services?
With many corporations reducing business class travel, should airlines design a new cabin class?
How can airlines best balance economy and comfort? What would be ‘must haves’ in future cabins?
Can cabin lining and components be made fully circular/recyclable?
How can smaller airlines compete with larger ones in providing an upgraded cabin experience?

Conclusions

Aircraft interiors must adapt rapidly to multiple pressures from both consumers and regulators, and we expect to see rapid change across the sector in the coming years as airlines compete for market relevance and loyalty through improved in-flight experiences.

As demand is likely to outstrip supply, especially for smaller fleets, this dynamic creates an opportunity for nimble suppliers capable of ministering to their needs. We conclude with some key takeaways by player type:

in-flight technology on back of passenger seats

Interiors manufacturers

The time is ripe for disruptive innovation across all elements of the cabin interior. To achieve this at the necessary pace may require new partnerships in the startup and tech sectors, accelerators and other innovation catalysts.

Sustainability requirements are not limited to weight and its impact on carbon emissions, these must be balanced with other factors like service length and recyclability.

Greater use of IoT technologies brings your customers both safety and cost improvements on the one hand, and the potential for better customer experience on the other. Build out relationships with specialist IoT solution providers.

Airlines

Interior redesigns must be grounded in deep understanding of passenger requirements – it pays to conduct market research, and to be category specific.
The moment is now to gain first-mover advantage over other operators when it comes to new interior designs. Priorities include: comfort; weight; recycling potential; hygiene; space; aesthetics; connectivity.
Smaller airlines should look beyond major manufacturers and establish relationships with niche vendors who can provide more customisable solutions in order to keep pace with or differentiate positively from larger airlines.
Retrofitting in-service cabins with small changes, e.g. lighting, may offer a path to serve customer expectations in the short term before supply issues can be addressed.
Competition for interiors supply is likely to intensify when eVTOL players come onstream, emphasising the importance of strong supplier relationships, especially for smaller fleet operators.

Supply chain for interiors

Order backlogs, patchy data, and geopolitical stresses on supply chains will continue to strain supplier reliability and responsiveness. Technology investments, particularly in data quality and transparency throughout the supply chain, can help mitigate these challenges.

Strong relationships and consistent communication with partners is more essential than ever to ensure maximised transparency in forecasting, planning and regulation of demand.

With demand for new interiors outstripping supply, refurb and replace will remain a critical fallback for operators looking to make visible changes on short lead times. However, sourcing suitable used components is likely to become more challenging.

Regulators

Collaboration is more important than ever to work out ongoing supply chain difficulties and achieve necessary levels of innovation. Industry regulators can contribute by building connections and engaging diverse public and private players through forums, demonstrators, and other strategic cooperation opportunities.

With approvals processes a key contributor to supply chain issues, regulators can play a part in relieving pinch points by speeding these up wherever possible.

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