(From Left to Right) Carter Stewart, Tim Clark, Ben Bettel, Bob Lange (Airbus)

I was honoured to be on the opening day media panel of Hamburg Aircraft Interiors, and humbled to be in the prescene of some industry greats whom I admire.   In particular were Bob Lange (Head of Aircraft Interiors- Airbus) and Tim Clarke (CEO of Emirates).    I enjoyed sharing the stage with these gentlemen, but also confess that I walked away richer from the discussion, insights, and questions that these jouneryman aviation experts shared.

Unfortunately, Reza Soltanian (Regent Aerospace)  was  not able to make the conference due to the ongoing travel chaos, and was trapped in the States.    

The theme of the Panel was “Preparing for the Upturn” and the key question for all of us is- if we can see a bit of recovery coming what do we think that airlines and suppliers will be keen to focus on, and more importantly spend money on.

From my perspective there are really several key themes, which as associated to the future passenger trends that we have identified in our people-centred design and scenario planning research:

- Harmonising Fleet LOPAs and Experience among the alliances- so that you can offer a truly seamless product.

- The Up and Coming Passenger: Digital Natives take to the skies.  What will their needs and wants be and can we as in indsustry address them? 

- The Rapidly Ageing Population and Air Travel:   How will the largest segment of the human population in history over the age of 65 impact air travel?    http://bit.ly/b8zWVb

- The “Supersize Passenger”:  How can the industry meet the coming challenges from growing obesity rates and a general increase in passenger height?  http://bit.ly/bHQCHk

- What about ultra long haul air travel?   http://bit.ly/bQL7W4

Bob Lange received a number of questions regarding the new LH Airbus deliver that is happening tommorow, and also about his collaboration with Tim and The Emirates Team over the years to deliver their new product.

Tim Clark was asked a number of questions about the upturn and product sustainability.   While he was keen to point out that he was not there to promote Emirates he was wanting to make the point that while load factors are incrasing steadily, there is still a fine balance between the premium cabins while at the same time focusing on the “main deck” product (Y).   

It seemed that the question that the press was most interested in was the idea of premium economy, where is it’s brand position in the eye of the customer and what is the future of the F cabin.   One of the points I would have loved to have spoken on was the new F offering from British Airways.  Their labour relations and ash cloud issues aside, their new offering is truly interesting and breaks the mold for herrigbone configurations in a number of key ways- including more shoulder width during the recline.    I am really impressed by this collaboration between B/E Aerospace ( http://bit.ly/cgiX4t ) Tangerine ( http://bit.ly/c4Y0gV ), and British Aiways.

For my own experience and perspective I think that F is not quite dead yet, and all the other panelist stopped short of really addressing the issue of F (short of Tim who did mention the new showers in the A380).

For my part I spoke briefly about what people like Air New Zealand and Altitude Interiors are doing with the new Skycouch product, and how this product could be seen to be further blurring the difference between the economy and premium economy cabins.   http://bit.ly/dBcyOh

Another innovation product that is on show here this year is the Molton Labe Designs “sliding seat”, which I am very keen to go see in person.    Effectively the prototype allows the carrier to temporarily widen the aisle by “sliding” the aisle seats in on themselves.    A very interesting proposition, and feed quite nicely into the issues of accomodating both an aging traveller, as well as even the “supersize” traveller.   It truly interests me from an innovation perspective.

That brings me to anothe point that Tim made in the discussion.   While I maintained that these mega-trends were coming- he was keen to point out that carriers are often the drivers of these innovations.   I do have to concende that Emirates has driven some great things in their time, and it is a perfectly fair comment!   Bob then pointed out that you only have to look at the growth of #HAM10 over the last few years to see that there is a lot of innovation out there.

In talking before the discussion with Bob Lange from Airbus, I was telling him that I was about to sample the new AF A380 product i a months time.  He said in that if I have an opportunity in particular Y LOPA, the seat is 1.5 inches wider than the average seat.    He indicated that some people may dismiss this, but was keen to point out that “next time I am in a seat, try taking your laptop or a book and placing it between you and the armrest.”    I look forward to experiencing this for myself shortly.

Overall, it was a great experience and I will post some picstures from the show over the next few days.    I hope that by doing so, I can share as much of the show experience with those of you who were not able to make it- or are just interested in what we do.

Air Travel and Our Ageing Population

One of the most intriguing social and economic topics that will have a major impact on the future of most nations, regardless of geography, is the issue of an increasingly ageing population.

What is significant about this trend is that in the next twenty years the population over the age of 65 will at least double in most industrialised nations. These numbers are unprecedented in all of human history, and the demands and needs of this market segment will likely impact airport and airline operations.

While the population is ageing, it does not necessarily mean that they are doing so in quite the same way as previous generations.  Medical advances and social and financial drivers are keeping people fitter longer, extending their overall health and mobility well past that of previous generations. In many nations, the average retirement age for both men and women is rising and this can occasionally be linked to a change in the social contract between individuals, their company’s  retirement plan, and structured national social support for the aged.

One of the most likely impacts to airlines may be those who currently classify themselves in the “Low Cost Carrier” (LCC) category.  With a focus on quick turnaround times and often utilising second-tier airports from forward and aft exits on a hard stand, they stand to lose the most from a changing passenger demographic.  This is particularly true in the European sector of the airline business, as in the United States the prevalence of jet-bridges is more widespread.

Onboard the aircraft there may be a number of design changes that need to be considered to accommodate this new passenger demographic. 

These could include:

• The installation of new or additional moveable aisle armrests to facilitate access to seats, particularly in economy class
• The installation of new or additional power outlets on long haul aircraft to accommodate the use of a growing number of medically necessary devices (such as respiratory support devices, etc.)
• The addition of larger, more accessible lavatories on the aircraft.  With ongoing current security restrictions on passenger cabin movement, there may be a requirement for both forward and aft accommodation.
• The study of one-touch, or motorised, retractable tray tables and IFE devices in bulkhead seating.  Often these can be challenging for some passengers to deploy.

In addition to cabin changes, there may also be a number of changes recommended for In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) devices. These may include updates such as:

• The ability for the passenger to manipulate the font size of a subtitle on a safety video or entertainment programme
• The opportunity for a passenger to use their blue-tooth enabled hearing aid devices to interface with the IFE without the potentially invasive insertion of ear buds

Operationally, there are also a number of challenging issues for the industry in regards to a mobile ageing population. 

These could include:

• Safe accommodation and gate check delivery of a growing number of sophisticated mobility devices (such as “scooters”) to enable passenger the maximum of personal mobility without additional assistance. In association with this change, there may need to be an overall review of “checked luggage liability” associated with these high-value devices.
• For those who do not have access to personal mobility devices, there could be an increased demand of airline staff on the ground and in the air to support and assist customers through all aspects of their journey.

These are just a few of our thoughts on how this particular segment of the travelling public may influence the future of aircraft interiors, airport procedures and carrier policies.

If you would like to know more about this subject, or any other in our series, please feel free to contact us

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We can also recommend this link for The European Union Statistical Office

According to Eurostat, the EU’s statistical analysis unit, in the year 2060 over 30% of the entire population of the European Union will be over the age 65. In 2008, Eurostat reported the  same population was at 17.1%

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