The prospect of being unable to fly in a comfortable and dignified manner is driving millions of travelers away from airlines, and Collins Aerospace views it as its mission to reverse this trend. According to Stan Kottke, president of Collins’ Interiors business unit, around 6.4 million wheelchair users in the U.S. alone are choosing not to travel because they will not be properly supported by the air transport industry.
“Aviation is changing, and if we are not proactive about this, we are leaving people out,” Kottke told AIN. In his view, it makes sense for airlines to invest in new cabin technology to capitalize on shifting travel trends, such as growing numbers of retirees booking leisure trips for which they want more comfort.
Collins’ engineers are almost ready to offer a new approach to accommodating passengers in motorized wheelchairs in a way that avoids the need to permanently remove one or more seats from the cabin. The Prime concept involves a new type of galley wall that can fold into the wall, allowing a wheelchair user to board and then be safely seated next to a traveling companion or carer.
Once the passenger is in place, flight attendants can fold out a modified galley monument that includes features such as a height-adjustable tray, a tablet device holder, power outlets, reading lights, speakers, and a flight attendant call button. The system has been developed through consultation involving passengers with reduced mobility, airlines, and technical advisors.
“We’re developing solutions that don’t have an economic downside for the airline, and this way the passenger count stays the same,” said Kottke, adding that this approach is better than separating passengers from their wheelchairs, which can weigh up to 250 pounds, and having to stow them in the hold of the aircraft.
From a regulatory point of view, many wheelchairs are already compliant with aviation requirements and can safely be secured in the cabin. Collins is now working with several airlines on plans to retrofit existing narrowbody fleets.
Similar innovation is coming to airliner lavatories. The RTX group subsidiary is working with Boeing on plans to be able to quickly combine two separate lavatory units into one large space that would be more comfortable for passengers with mobility challenges, with room for a carer as well. According to Kottke, the temporary configuration can be set up in less than three minutes.
More Flexible Cabin Monuments
The design breakthrough for Collins has been to stop seeing cabin hardware, or “monuments,” as immovable. “Ultimately, monuments in the cabin have been very fixed for years, and we’ve done a lot of work to introduce transformable monuments, such as pull-out bars,” Kottke explained.
Turning to software, Collins is also focused on how passengers could increasingly use their personal electronic devices to control in-seat equipment. This Adapt system would be accessed via an app, and the company has developed prototypes with increased functionality for airlines to consider.
The feature is part of Collins' latest Maya concept for business class seats. This also incorporates the Arise system, which automatically adjusts each seat in response to inputs such as body pressure, temperature changes, and active vibration caused by aircraft movement.
Data is gathered from sensors that are part of the company's InteliSence technology, which uses machine learning techniques to activate changes. The Maya concept also features an ultrawide OLED entertainment display, the Q-Tech system for dampening noise levels around each seat, and Hypergamut lighting, which promotes production of melatonin to help passengers sleep on long-haul flights across time zones.
According to Kottke, airliner cabins have typically been renewed every 10 years, but he sees this happening more frequently as carriers look to capitalize on changing travel trends. Around 30% to 40% of Collins’ interiors business now involves retrofits, giving it plenty of motivation to invest in improved seating, galleys, and lavatories.