FUCAM involved several comprehensive studies and surveys for acquiring the passengers’ requirements and profiles and a further in-depth study on air transport trends, key airports, overview on airlines, challenges in the development of the air transport market, and key routes.
A series of user involvement activities accompanied by desktop research for identifying trends, cultural factors and preferences relevant for cabin design have been complemented so as to enhance the user and market understanding. Furthermore, a comprehensive database of relevant latest, emerging and soon-to-emerge technology for potential application within FUCAM cabin concepts, counting 353 items, has been compiled.
By the 36th month of the FUCAM project, the following concepts have been analysed:
Business Seat Concept
Specially designed business class seats derived from Japanese living room chairs. These seats have a lower relax seat position with a large meal and cocktail table that enables simultaneous multiple activities with a sense of quality and privacy. Passenger can work, eat, relax or take a nap thanks to the interchangeable hard and soft seat cushions.
The seat is optimized for short-mid haul flights and can be fitted to wide and narrow body aircrafts without modifications. In terms of aircraft integration, this element does not require any specific engineering efforts. The usual seat interfaces will be unchanged and provided.
Super Economy Seat Concept
Versatile compact and light-weight bench style seat that can be used by single passengers, families or provide comfort to people of stature. This wider middle seat may be occupied by three adult persons or two persons of size or even a family with two small children.
The integrated space provides a small storage space for personal belongings, which have to be accessible during flight. This concept provides increased seat pitch with measures to prevent decreasing the level of comfort. Again, in terms of aircraft integration, the standard interfaces will be usable and there is no need of a specific redesign.
Airlounge – Lower Deck “The third place experience”
The Airlounge Concept comprises a fixed installation on lower deck with separate gender lavatories, seating possibilities and possibly vending machines that can be combined with additional container modules to increase the passenger capacity of the lounge and provide catering and experience features for retail, relax, work, or gaming. Various business scenarios for sharing the space have been developed.
Immersive Retail Experience Modules
The Retail Module is offered to facilitate on-board brand engagement and shopping.
Going beyond current offers of in-flight beverage and drink purchases, it offers the opportunity to connect with the brand through an immersive experience as well as browse and pre-order from a vast selection of goods and services (clothing, shoes, taxi, car rentals, hotels or other accommodation, baggage service, spa treatments), to be delivered at the destination airport, hotel, or elsewhere during one's further trip.
Retail Module facilitates added benefits from co-branding between the airline and a particular goods supplier, to offer the passenger access to the exclusive content that directly or indirectly promotes the sale of these goods and allows creating direct revenues from a larger amount of ancillary revenues.
