by Staff Correspondent
Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) teams have built the first digital Airbus cabin configurator – showcased a new design approach specifically for the ACJ Two Twenty, the latest member of the ACJ fleet.
Keeping up with the ethos, Cabin as the center stage for the “premiere”
“This is another “first” for Airbus, history in the making, and the ACJ TwoTwenty is no stranger to standing out in the new “Xtra Large Bizjet” market,” explains Sylvain Mariat, Head of ACJ Creative Design.
“The ACJ TwoTwenty is a complete “aircraft-cabin” offer to our VIP, corporate and charter patrons, a unique aircraft with a catalogue offering of three different ambiences, spanning over six living spaces of a total of 73m² / 785ft². This makes it extremely suitable for a digital configuration,” added Sylvain.
In the development phase of the configurator, the project team were inspired by solutions found in the hotel and luxury car industries, taking digital technologies and the customization experience to another level. The result is an interactive configurator that offers superior ambience opportunities and over 120 layout options. A panoramic 3D view lets the user project themself into a real-life situation, to test their cabin configuration choice. The details of the personalized configuration can then be downloaded to assist them with their choices.
Affirms for an Immersive Experience
Virtual reality is a step forward in the development process: “In the short term, the ACJ team intends to provide total immersion of a 3D environment, by following the movements of the user: opening a door will no longer be an obstacle,” says Sylvain.
Virtual reality will offer enriched content and real-time access to all the options in the catalogue, such as materials, lighting and day/night ambiences e.t.c. Currently tested in product campaigns, ACJ’s sales teams and future ACJ TwoTwenty customers are excited to know about the concept and its new features, which will be showcased at the upcoming Las Vegas Business Aviation Show in October, as reported.
The ACJ TwoTwenty will enter service in early 2023, with Comlux their launch patron and exclusive cabin outfitting partner for the first 15 cabins, stated the company.
To the ACJ team, the configurator allows them to support their patrons through design innovation, as a support extension in this time of crisis. “In the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic, it is particularly important to maintain the link with the customer, and being able to visit the aircraft together, without having to travel is an undeniable asset. The configurator allows our teams to quickly understand our customer’s needs by offering them an immersive experience using a PC, a tablet or a virtual reality headset,” affirms Sylvain.
