In style

Despite the aircraft's superior decor, management insists the cabin controls of the new plane are similar to past products, making them easy for cabin crew to operate.

"When you design an aircraft you need a certain amount of commonality," says Christophe Cossart, Airbus' aircraft interiors marking manager.

"It's very important because your cabin crew may be trained to work on an aircraft type and then move onto another aircraft type. This aircraft has the same controls for lighting, airflow and temperature. It's very easy to control all Airbus aircraft in the same manner," he adds.

Bright lights

In terms of lighting the new A380 has a variety of pre-programmed scenarios, all of which are easy for cabin crew to operate. "We introduced ambient lighting for the interior to put some variations inside the cabin," says von Linstow.

"We first put in mood lighting on the A340-600 then we further enhanced the system for the A380 so we can offer four scenarios of lighting inside every cabin and they all have a different purpose," he adds.

The ‘sunrise' setting, for example, is often used towards the end of a night flight in order to wake passengers before breakfast is served. The system is operated by light emitting diode (LED) technology; a long-life, energy efficient product that can be used to programme any set of colours.

Aside from complex new technology, Airbus was keen to introduce more natural light inside the A380 and the A350. "We wanted light from outside on board the aircraft and that's why we designed larger windows on both our new aircraft," says von Linstow.

Crew aboard Boeing's Dreamliner can choose from 11 pre-set lighting scenes, all controlled by LED technology. "Airline's can utilise the lighting system to brand their service or their airline," says Craver.

"We really want to connect people to the flying experience and we realise that lighting can play a huge part in that," he adds. In addition the airline's management has chosen to change the colour of the interior to create a more airy feel. "We've changed to a lighter, cooler colour. We hope that this will provide a more natural feeling to fly in."

Serving meals

In addition to complex lighting, manufacturers have introduced state-of-the-art kitchens onboard their modern aircraft.

Boeing's management claims it's trying to standardise equipment across all its aircraft to increase efficiency. "We still want airlines to have flexibility but we really want the kitchens to run as smoothly as possible," explains Craver.

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