1 day Ago By Jake Hardiman
Cathay Pacific has won two Crystal Cabin Awards following this year's Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in the city of Hamburg in northern Germany. Crediting " human-centric design thinking " for its success at this year's gala, the Hong Kong flag carrier and oneworld member took home prizes for both its Aria Suite cabins and an innovative onboard art concept known as 'Gallery in the Skies.' The airline's success at this year's Crystal Cabin Awards highlights Cathay Pacific's continued innovation in the field of modern airline passenger experience, with its decidedly human approach to such matters winning favor with the judges at the awards ceremony.
The categories in which the carrier took home prizes also highlighted its impressive use of the extra space onboard widebody aircraft. Cathay Pacific Won Two Prizes At This Year's Crystal Cabin Awards The first of the prizes that Cathay Pacific took home from this year's Crystal Cabin Awards was for its Aria Suite business class cabin, which came out on top in the Passenger Comfort category. The airline launched this product on the Boeing 777-300ER last year, and, alongside its most recent accolade, it has also won an iF Design Award, with the carrier's IFE system also picking up the latter prize.
The second Crystal Cabin Award that the airline won this year was for its Gallery in the Sky art concept, which came out on top in the category of Judges' Choice: Airline Innovation. Cathay Pacific 's General Manager of Customer Experience Design, Guillaume Vivet, said that " these accolades are the result of incredible teamwork by our people at Cathay Pacific and with our partners ," explaining that: "Being recognised with these prestigious awards is an incredible honor, and a reflection of our deep commitment to delivering a world-class customer experience through thoughtful, human-centric design. To be recognised with two awards in the same year for features as diverse as our IFE and control system and Gallery in the Skies in our Aria Suite cabins is a testament to the innovation and the holistic approach to design that guides everything we do for our customers.
" Inside The Aria Suite The Aria Suite business class product that won Cathay Pacific one of its Crystal Cabin Awards this year represents a first in modern aviation, in that, as the airline explained, " the entire suite environment can be controlled seamlessly through all connected control panels ." The carrier teamed up with JPA Design and Reaktor to bring the concept to life, with one of its control panels seen in the photo above. Featuring " innovations and enhancements that take the business class experience to the next level ," Cathay Pacific looks to " provide an unparalleled level of comfort and control " with its Aria Suite business class.
With single-touch synchronization for aspects such as lighting and seat positioning, it is easier than ever for passengers to tailor the environment to their tastes. Key facts about the cabin include: 45 seats in a four-abreast (1-2-1) configuration (per aeroLOPA ). Six controllable lights with more than 14 settings.
The IFE system is connected to the aircraft's systems to inform users about lavatory availability. Five customizable and saveable preset modes for cabin lighting and seat positioning. Cathay Pacific will be returning the Aria suites to Beijing-Capital starting in late March.
All About The Art Gallery In The Skies As for Cathay Pacific's innovative Gallery in the Skies art concept, which won the Judges' Choice: Airline Innovation category at this year's Crystal Cabin Awards, this, like the Hong Kong flag carrier's Aria Suite business class product, was also launched on the 777-300ER. The airline has turned each of its retrofitted examples of the type into an art space by curating 30 pieces of art for onboard display. Frequent travelers on these aircraft will notice that the experience is different every time, " with each aircraft having its own unique artwork within the collection .
" Cathay Pacific teamed up with 15 different artists in order to curate its onboard galleries, all of whom have close ties to Hong Kong. This ensures that the pieces displayed have a 'deep bond' with the airline's home, with each offering different perspectives..
