Story ID: 761 LHT-Royal Jet BBJs
LHT Shows New Royal Jet BBJ
By: James Wynbrandt
Caption: 2nd of two new VIP charter aircraft with interiors by Edése Doret recently delivered to the Abu Dhabi based operator
Word Count: 603
Completion specialist Lufthansa Technic (LHT) is showcasing here at MEBAA the second of two Boeing Business Jets (BBJs) recently redelivered to Abu Dhabi-based charter operator Royal Jet. Designed by New York-based Edése Doret studio, the interior features a minimalist aesthetic style combining geometric shapes and organic structures, making extensive use of carbon fiber. Both aircraft have the same layout but different color palettes. The 34-passenger interiors include a bedroom, two full bathrooms, and two VIP lounge areas. The cabins also feature carpeting from Tai Ping, leathers from Townsend, Ultraleather from Tapis and quartz and carbon fiber flooring from F/List.

A highlight of the design is the “starry sky,” comprised of some 15,000 points of fiber optic light running across the ceiling throughout the cabin, which can display a variety of different light scenarios including “moonlight” elements. The molded panel design merges with the sidewalls.

Royal Jet signed Edése Doret for the design based on its proposal, and the two companies selected LHT to conduct the projects following a vetting of some 10 completion centers. The work was performed at LHT’s Hamburg headquarters facility by its VIP & Special Mission Aircraft Services division. LHT (Stand 500) also builds all the interior and lining parts in house. Like the first of the pair, delivered in October, the BBJ completion required just nine months, and the two projects involved some 280 technicians.

The extensive interior use of carbon fiber was one of the project’s “biggest achievements,” said Edése Doret. “You could use carbon fiber on other categories of aircraft, but it wasn’t possible to use carbon fiber for a Part 21 [airliner-sized] charter aircraft until [seat manufacturer] PAC Seating and JCB Aero [the composites division of Amac Aerospace] came up with a solution for the smoke, toxicity and heat-release certification.” This makes Royal Jet “the first commercial charter operator to install carbon fiber interiors,” said Royal Jet president and CEO Rob DiCastri.

Florida-based PAC Seating has handled aspects of engineering, certification, production and integration. The aircraft features three categories of seating: lie-flat sleeper seat pods; three-across premium economy seats; and double-club seats. The lie-flat seats were designed and certified to attach directly to the BBJ floor track.

The arms and back shells of the of the seats feature black carbon fiber, creating a look that is comparable to some high-end automobiles. The arms feature leather arm pads.

Both aircraft are the world’s first BBJs outfitted with Ka-band antenna systems in their initial completion, which support a fully digital mobile phone network (GSM) and high-speed connectivity, and incorporate LHT’s integrated “niceview mobile” flight information system.

Both aircraft “will be primarily used as part of our VIP charter offering,” DiCastri said. Given their use for charter, an easy-to-maintain cabin and technology systems were an essential design requirement, exemplified by the ability to replace the entertainment and communication system in just a few minutes.

Royal Jet, the world’s largest BBJ operator, is jointly owned by Abu Dhabi Aviation and the Presidential Flight Authority, the county’s royal flight service, and the company is chaired by His Excellency Sheikh Hamden Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan. The company operates from its own VIP terminal at Abu Dhabi International Airport.

“Our long-term customers have been anticipating the arrival of these aircraft since we ordered them, so we expect that they will be very busy from the outset,” said DiCastri. “We’ve been teasing them with photos and progress updates, and as a result we’re already taking bookings.”