As the aviation industry comes roaring back to the skies, airlines, designers and engineers from around the world are advancing a plethora of new ideas to make air travel more safe, connected and comfortable.

The expert jury of the Crystal Cabin Awards has now selected the finalists for the 2023 Edition.

The 21 selected entries offer a fascinating view of the future of flying, from innovative seats to next-generation connectivity technology, from air purifiers to economy class beds – and even a Wi-Fi connected facemask for video calls.

Cabin Concepts

Each of these cabin concepts offers an innovative new solution that raises the bar on a different area of passenger or crew experience. Air New Zealand’s Skynest caters for ultra-long haul travel in economy class, offering lie-in bunks that can be booked to help customers recuperate on the longest flights.

The integrated Crew Rest Compartment for Single-Aisle Aircraft by Diehl Aviation adds a foldable flat rest space for crew in single-aisle jets, using the crew jump seats as a support.

Lufthansa Group has submitted the Allegris system of flexible seating options, letting customers choose from 14 seat types across four travel classes to suit personal needs; premium offerings include double suites and beds with soft mattresses for more comfort.

Cabin Systems, Materials and Components

This year, the Crystal Cabin Awards include an amended category structure, unifying the Cabin Systems with the Materials and Components category.

With Q-Tech, Collins Aerospace has engineered an acoustic dampening material that reduces noise transmission from engines, the fuselage and conversations in the cabin more effectively than traditional honeycomb designs. Jump Seat Duo by J&C Aero is a dual-purpose module that integrates a foldable wheelchair within the crew jump seat, letting crew assist passengers with reduced mobility quickly while saving valuable cabin space.

Thales Avionics has reached the final three with Onboard Data-Center (ODC), an IT architecture using a system of “blades” that share storage and computing capabilities. Thales says its ODC brings web-based technologies onboard the aircraft for the first time and increases storage space by up to 10 times compared to existing IFE servers.
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