Refurbishment 1.qxp_Finance 22/02/2022 12:26 Page 1
REFURBISHMENT
How to Balance Sustainability with Quality and Budget in the Cabin How is sustainability impacting business aircraft cabin refurbishments, and how competitive are the sustainable alternatives to the traditional refurbishment methods and materials in terms of quality and cost? Gerrard Cowan asks the experts…
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ith an increasing global focus on climate change and other environmental concerns, sustainability is a growing topic in aviation. But it stretches beyond fuel, even impacting decisions and material selections for cabin completions and refurbishments. What exactly does this mean for business jet operators looking to upgrade the interior of their aircraft, and how can sustainability be balanced with budgetary and quality demands? Before answering that, it’s important to see sustainability in a broader context, says Tom Chatfield, CEO of Camber Aviation Management, a Canadian provider of aircraft completion and refurbishment advisory services. “The first focus should be ‘reuse’”, he explains, rather than necessarily buying new equipment. For example, operators should aim wherever possible to reuse their existing seats. Though they may wish to restyle the seats, “there’s no reason to take perfectly good seat frames and toss them in the bin”. 80 Vol 26 Issue 3 2022 AVBUYER MAGAZINE
This also applies to other structural components, though it may be possible to make some changes to the layout. The refurbished seats and components can be integrated into the refreshed cabin or into the new layout. It’s always worth considering the benefits of reducing the weight of the interior when it comes to a refurbishment. While the aircraft may be configured for a specific number of passengers, if you seldom fill the seats consider a redesign to increase comfort levels aboard the jet. The lower overall cabin weight that results would lead to a lower fuel burn, lowering the carbon footprint (and operating costs) of the jet.
Sustainable Cabin Materials & Techniques
When new materials are necessary, there is a range of options that do not have such a heavy impact on the environment as some of the ‘traditional’ options. Synthetic leathers and natural, plantbased leathers (referred to as ‘vegan’ leather) are examples. “These look fantastic, but don’t have such a www.AVBUYER.com
