Aircraft cabin

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Cabin of a Boeing 737 (Economy class) with typical seating arrangement Lufthansa 737 interior.jpg
Cabin of a Boeing 737 (Economy class) with typical seating arrangement
The British Airways World Traveller Cabin BA World Traveller cabin.jpg
The British Airways World Traveller Cabin
Aircraft cabin control system on board an Airbus A319 A319 ALITALIA20121225 232942.jpg
Aircraft cabin control system on board an Airbus A319
"Executive Class" cabin of Boeing 777-300ER operated by Biman Interior of Biman Boeing 777-300ER 'Palki' S2-AFO Business Class, Jeddah to Dhaka, 11 Apr 2015.jpg
"Executive Class" cabin of Boeing 777-300ER operated by Biman

An aircraft cabin is the section of an aircraft in which passengers travel. [1] Most modern commercial aircraft are pressurized, as cruising altitudes are high enough such that the surrounding atmosphere is too thin for passengers and crew to breathe. [2]

Contents

In commercial air travel, particularly in airliners, cabins may be divided into several parts. These can include travel class sections in medium and large aircraft, areas for flight attendants, the galley, and storage for in-flight service. Seats are mostly arranged in rows and aisles. The higher the travel class, the more space is provided. Cabins of the different travel classes are often divided by curtains, sometimes called class dividers. Passengers are not usually allowed to visit higher travel class cabins in commercial flights. [3]

Some aircraft cabins contain passenger entertainment systems. Short and medium haul cabins tend to have no or shared screens whereas long and ultra-long haul flights often contain personal screens.

Evolution

Business class is almost replacing first class: 70% of 777s had first-class cabins before 2008 while 22% of new 777s and 787s had one in 2017. Full-flat seats in business-class rose from 65% of 777 deliveries in 2008 to nearly 100% of the 777s and 787s delivered in 2017, excepted for low-cost carriers having 10% premium cabin on their widebodies. First-class seats were halved over the past 5–10 years, typically from eight to four. To differentiate from business class, high-end first class move to full-height enclosures like Singapore Airlines, Emirates, and Etihad. Business class became the equivalent of what first class was a few years ago. [4]

In 2017, 80% of the 777s and 787s delivered had a separate premium economy with one or two fewer seats across than regular economy class. In economy class, 2 in (5 cm) slimmer seats with composite frames and thinner upholstery can add legroom or allow more seating. While ground or more often satellite internet connection is available at lower cost due to competition, only 25–30% of carriers outside U.S. offer inflight connectivity. LED lighting can support different scenarios like boarding, food service, shopping, branding or chronobiology through simulated sunset or sunrise. First- and business-class are refurbished every 5–7 years compared to 6–10 years for economy. [4]

Market ($ million) [4]
Cabin upgrades20162026
Interior modifications26004600
Avionics/systems7651365
painting539862
AD/service bulletins302410
cabin connectivity190323

A 337 seats cabin (36 business, 301 economy) in a 787-10 for Singapore Airlines costs $17.5 million each. [5] Emirates invested over $15 million each to refurbish its 777-200LR in a new two-class configuration in 55 days initially then 35 days. [6]

Mezzanine seating

In the mid-2000s, Formation Design Group proposed using the taller wide-body cabins to layer the bed and seat arrangements for higher density. Revealed at Aircraft Interiors Expo 2012, Factorydesign devised a double-deck system of pods for 30% more density, between premium economy and business class. In 2015, Airbus filed a patent for a double-deck business class cabin, to monetize the vertical space. [7]

Cabin pressurization

Cabin pressurization is the active pumping of compressed air into the cabin of an aircraft in order to ensure the safety and comfort of the occupants. It becomes necessary whenever the aircraft reaches a certain altitude, since the natural atmospheric pressure would be too low to supply sufficient oxygen to the passengers. Without pressurization, one could suffer from altitude sickness including hypoxia.

If a pressurized aircraft suffers a pressurization failure above 10,000 feet (3,000 meters), then it could be deemed as an emergency. Should this situation occur, the aircraft should begin an emergency descent and oxygen masks should be activated for all occupants. In the majority of passenger aircraft, the passengers' oxygen masks are activated automatically if the cabin pressure falls below the atmospheric pressure equivalent of 14,000 feet (4,300 meters). [8]

Travel class

First class

Emirates 777-200LR First Class Suite Emirates Boeing 777-200LR First Class Suite.jpg
Emirates 777-200LR First Class Suite

The first class section of an airplane is the class with the best service, and it is typically the highest priced. The services offered are superior to those in business class, and they are available on only a small number of long flights. First class is characterized by having a larger amount of space between seats (including those that can be converted into beds), a personal TV set, high quality food and drink, personalized service, privacy, and providing travelers with complimentary items (ex. pajamas, shoes and toiletries). Passengers in this class have a separate check-in, access to the airline's first-class lounge, preferred boarding, or private transportation between the terminal and the plane. Due to its high cost, there are few airlines that offer this service. [9]

Business class

Etihad Airways' Business Class Cabin Airbus A330-243, Etihad Airways AN1619905.jpg
Etihad Airways' Business Class Cabin

Business class is more expensive, but it also offers more amenities to travelers than the classes below it. These may include better food, wider entertainment options, more comfortable seats with more room to recline and more legroom, among others. [10]

Premium economy class

Premium Economy Spaceseats on Air New Zealand Air New Zealand Premium Economy Spaceseats.jpg
Premium Economy Spaceseats on Air New Zealand

Premium Economy class is a travel class offered by some airlines in order to provide a better flying experience to the economy traveler, but for much less money than business class. [11] It is often limited to a few extras such as more legroom, as well as complimentary food and drinks. [12] On board Air Canada, Premium Economy comes with wider seats (3 inches on the Boeing 777-300) (2 inches on the Boeing 787), more recline (3 inches more than economy), a fold-down foot rest, an amenity kit, premium food and drinks on long-haul international flights, and much more legroom.

Economy class

Economy class is the airline travel class with the lowest ticket price, as the level of comfort is lower than that of the other classes. This class is primarily characterized by the short distance between each seat, and a smaller variety of food and entertainment.[ citation needed ]

VIP configuration

VIP configuration of an aircraft has enclosed separated sections for use by select passenger(s) for use as an office space, meeting area and notably sleeping quarters from seated passengers.

The most notable is Air Force One, with a private sleeping area, office space and conference rooms for the president of the United States.

See also

Related Research Articles

American Airlines is a major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by scheduled passengers carried and revenue passenger mile. American, together with its regional partners and affiliates, operates an extensive international and domestic network with almost 6,800 flights per day to nearly 350 destinations in 48 countries. American Airlines is a founding member of the Northeast Alliance, and also a member of the Oneworld alliance. Regional service is operated by independent and subsidiary carriers under the brand name American Eagle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KLM</span> Flag carrier of the Netherlands

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, legally Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V., is the flag carrier of the Netherlands. KLM is headquartered in Amstelveen, with its hub at nearby Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. It is a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM group and a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance. Founded in 1919, KLM is the oldest operating airline in the world, and has 35,488 employees with a fleet of 110 as of 2021. KLM operates scheduled passenger and cargo services to 145 destinations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airliner</span> Aircraft designed for commercial transportation of passengers and cargo

An airliner is a type of aircraft for transporting passengers and air cargo. Such aircraft are most often operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an airplane intended for carrying multiple passengers or cargo in commercial service. The largest of them are wide-body jets which are also called twin-aisle because they generally have two separate aisles running from the front to the back of the passenger cabin. These are usually used for long-haul flights between airline hubs and major cities. A smaller, more common class of airliners is the narrow-body or single-aisle. These are generally used for short to medium-distance flights with fewer passengers than their wide-body counterparts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emirates (airline)</span> Flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates

Emirates is one of two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates. Based in Garhoud, Dubai, the airline is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group, which is owned by the government of Dubai's Investment Corporation of Dubai. As of 2019, it was also the largest airline in the Middle East, operating over 3,600 flights per week from its hub at Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport. It operates to more than 150 cities in 80 countries across all continents through its fleet of nearly 300 aircraft. Cargo activities are undertaken by Emirates SkyCargo.

Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada by size and passengers carried. Air Canada maintains its headquarters in the borough of Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec. The airline, founded in 1937, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 222 destinations worldwide. It is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Air Canada's major hubs are at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Vancouver International Airport (YVR), and Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL). The airline's regional service is Air Canada Express.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singapore Airlines</span> Flag carrier of Singapore

Singapore Airlines is the flag carrier of the Republic of Singapore with its hub located at the Singapore Changi Airport. The airline is notable for highlighting the Singapore Girl as its central figure in the corporate branding segment. The airline has been ranked as a 5-star airline by Skytrax since the 1990s, and it has also been ranked as the world's best airline five times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wide-body aircraft</span> Airliner with two aisles

A wide-body aircraft, also known as a twin-aisle aircraft, is an airliner with a fuselage wide enough to accommodate two passenger aisles with seven or more seats abreast. The typical fuselage diameter is 5 to 6 m. In the typical wide-body economy cabin, passengers are seated seven to ten abreast, allowing a total capacity of 200 to 850 passengers. The largest wide-body aircraft are over 6 m (20 ft) wide, and can accommodate up to eleven passengers abreast in high-density configurations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air China</span> Flag carrier of China

Air China Limited is the flag carrier of the People's Republic of China and one of the "Big Three" mainland Chinese airlines. Air China's headquarters are in Shunyi District, Beijing. Air China's flight operations are based primarily at Beijing Capital International Airport. In 2017, the airline carried 102 million domestic and international passengers with an average load factor of 81%. The airline joined Star Alliance in 2007.

EVA Airways Corporation, of which "EVA" stands for Evergreen Airways, is one of the two largest airlines in Taiwan – the other being China Airlines. It operates passenger and dedicated cargo services to over 40 international destinations in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. In contrast to the state-owned flag carrier China Airlines, EVA Air is privately owned and flies a fully international route network with no domestic destinations. It is rated as a 5-star airline by Skytrax, and is the second largest airline based in Taiwan after China Airlines. EVA Air is headquartered at Taoyuan International Airport in Luzhu, Taoyuan City. The company slogan is "Sharing the World, Flying Together".

Transaero, officially OJSC Transaero Airlines was a Russian airline that operated scheduled and charter flights to over 150 domestic and international destinations. Transaero's main hubs were Moscow Vnukovo Airport and Saint Petersburg Airport with further bases throughout Russia. For much of its history the head office was at Domodedovo International Airport, and towards the end its head office was in Saint Petersburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airbus A350</span> Family of long-range, wide-body jet airliners

The Airbus A350 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner developed and produced by Airbus. The first A350 design proposed by Airbus in 2004, in response to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, would have been a development of the Airbus A330 with composite wings and new engines. As market support was inadequate, in 2006, Airbus switched to a clean-sheet "XWB" design, powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB turbofan engines. The prototype first flew on 14 June 2013 from Toulouse, France. Type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) was obtained in September 2014, followed by certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) two months later.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Business class</span> Class on airlines and rail lines

Business class is a travel class available on many commercial airlines and rail lines, known by brand names which vary, by airline or rail company. In the airline industry, it was originally intended as an intermediate level of service between economy class and first class, but many airlines now offer business class as the highest level of service, having eliminated first-class seating. Business class is distinguished from other travel classes by the quality of seating, food, drinks, ground service and other amenities. In commercial aviation, full business class is usually denoted 'J' or 'C' with schedule flexibility, but can be many other letters depending on circumstances.

Economy class, also called third class, coach class, steerage, or to distinguish it from the slightly more expensive premium economy class, standard economy class or budget economy class, is the lowest travel class of seating in air travel, rail travel, and sometimes ferry or maritime travel. Historically, this travel class has been called tourist class or third class on ocean liners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airline seat</span> Seat of an airliner for passengers

An airline seat is a seat on an airliner in which passengers are accommodated for the duration of the journey. Such seats are usually arranged in rows running across the airplane's fuselage. A diagram of such seats in an aircraft is called an aircraft seat map.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Premium economy class</span> Travel class offered on some airlines

Premium economy class, also known by brand names which vary by company, is a travel class offered on many airlines. It is usually positioned between standard economy class and business class in terms of price, comfort, and available amenities. In 1991, EVA Air was the first to introduce Evergreen Class, becoming the first airline to offer this class of service. It was widely acknowledged that the premium economy class has become a standard reflection of what the economy class was like several decades ago. In some countries, this class has emerged as a response from governments and companies requiring economy class for travel done by staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scoot</span> Singaporean low-cost airline

Scoot Pte Ltd, operating as Scoot, is a Singaporean low-cost airline and a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines. It began its operations on 4 June 2012 on medium and long-haul routes from Singapore, predominantly to various airports throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Scoot's airline slogan is Escape the Ordinary.

PT Batik Air Indonesia, operating as Batik Air, is an Indonesian scheduled airline based at Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia. The airline was founded in 2012 as the full-service arm of the Lion Air Group and made its maiden flight on 3 May 2013 from Jakarta to Manado and Yogyakarta. The airline is certified as a 3-Star Airline by Skytrax.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First class (aviation)</span> Commercial passenger travel service level in aviation

First class is a travel class on some passenger airliners intended to be more luxurious than business class, premium economy, and economy class. Originally all planes offered only one class of service, with a second class appearing first in 1955 when TWA introduced two different types of service on its Super Constellations.

The Air New Zealand fleet consists of Boeing jet aircraft for long-haul flights, and Airbus jet aircraft for domestic and short-haul international flights. The airline also operates ATR 72 and Bombardier Q300 turboprop aircraft on domestic services.

References

  1. Wragg, David W. (1973). A Dictionary of Aviation (first ed.). Osprey. p. 84. ISBN   9780850451634.
  2. "Airbus Cabins Dimensioned for the Future". Archived from the original on 2015-10-03. Retrieved 2015-10-01.
  3. "What will passengers stand for?". The Economist. ISSN   0013-0613 . Retrieved 2015-10-01.
  4. 1 2 3 Paul Seidenman & David J. Spanovich (Jan 11, 2018). "Airlines Investing In Interiors: What, When And Why". Inside MRO. Aviation Week Network.
  5. Firdaus Hashim (28 March 2018). "SIA invests $350m in new cabin products for 787-10s". Flightglobal.
  6. Lindsay Bjerregaard (Jul 18, 2018). "Inside Emirates Engineering's 777-200LR Reconfiguration Project". Aviation Week Network.
  7. Adam Gavine (Oct 9, 2018). "The potential for mezzanine seating". Aircraft interiors international.
  8. "When oxygen masks mysteriously appear". usatoday.com.
  9. "Viajar en primera clase". arqhys.com. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2015-10-04.
  10. "¿Cuáles son las diferencias entre primera clase, clase ejecutiva y clase económica?". eHow en Español.
  11. "777-200 Premium Economy". airnewzealand.com.
  12. "The long and short of 'premium economy'". cnn.com.