Seats may be comfier, smell better in coach cabin of future

Bloomberg

Commercial flying may have lost its mythical appeal from the bygone jet age — think crowded budget carriers, dour catering and the premature demise of the majestic Airbus A380 airliner — but aerospace companies are nevertheless busy trying to improve the passenger experience on board an aircraft. In the hyper-competitive world of aviation, more comfort in the cabin can also be a major selling point for airlines, and cabin amenities (or the lack thereof) are oft-discussed features on social media platforms.
At the annual Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, the biggest showcase for innovation in the cabin, hundreds of exhibitors presented new seats, fabrics, lights, in-flight entertainment systems or creative layout concepts. One big trend at this year’s show: making better use of the data that is generated in the cabin to provide a more customised passenger experience, support flight attendants and improve maintenance of complex business-class seats or kitchen areas.
Over the decades, seat and cabin fabrics have veered from psychedelic to muted tones. The latest trend is a more homey feeling. Lantal Textiles AG, an aircraft fabric manufacturer, showcased cabin curtains with a more plush, three-dimensional weave, and Lonseal Inc presented flooring that mimics the grainy details of real wood for a more soothing atmosphere in the cabin space.
Mood lighting continues to be a major force of cabin innovation, but the new generation of LED lights also lets airlines considerably cut weight. Collins Aerospace introduced a reading lamp that can adapt to different applications, from large spot to small target, with full-colour options, eliminating the need for additional elements such as sidewall lighting.
Flat-bed seats in business and first class have been a feature for more than a decade, but the humble economy seat has remained largely built for purpose: slender, lightweight, limited comfort. Recaro Holding GmbH presented a redesign of its CL3710 back-of-the-cabin seat built especially for long-distance routes, which features additional sleeping aids such as wrap-around head support and a retractable ledge to extend the seat and provide more thigh support. Feeling too hot or cold in the cabin? Lantal is working on a temperature-control system that lets the occupant heat or cool their seat.
At the more luxurious spectrum of the cabin, Airbus is experimenting with a new seat layout that it calls the settee corner, combining a single-person seat with a bench design that can be used for meetings during flight or to spread out for a nap.
Feeling nauseous because there’s a stale smell wafting through the cabin? Panasonic Avionics Corp is bringing an air-deodorising system to the cabin that purifies the area around a (business) passenger’s seat, using nano-sized electrostatic atomised particles to neutralise air and battle viruses and bacteria. At the Hamburg show, engineers showcased the technology using a piece of cloth infused with the dubious odour of stale French fries.