Story ID: 307
Lufthansa Technik Advances Low-profile Cabin Systems
By: Charles Alcock
Caption: Discreet, lightweight speakers and controls are only seen when needed
Word Count: 560
Delivering ever more performance from aircraft cabin entertainment and management systems, while doing so discreetly and efficiently, is a core mission for Lufthansa Technik (LHT) with its Nice technology. The fruits of this labor are evidenced by the company’s exhibit this week at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in its hometown of Hamburg.
“Many of our OEM customers are now looking for more compact solutions, without compromising on performance and capability,” Astrid Döge, senior director with LHT’s OEM business unit, told AIN before the show opened. “Nice has been there for a while, and one of the biggest challenges in modern cabin design is to embed technology without disrupting the elegance and luxury of the space. So our main focus is on providing non-intrusive options that are only available when needed and disappear when not in use.”
A prime example of this approach is LHT’s lightweight OmniFi speakers, which can be integrated into cabin walls and decorated with materials such as leather. These won a Red Dot design award and represent a further refinement of the company’s speaker technology.
Another recent addition to the Nice portfolio is an all-in-one cabin management system that incorporates multiple control functions into a compact unit that is suitable for simplified installation on smaller business aircraft. The system, which only weighs around 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds), is now available on the Pilatus PC-24, supporting internet access, 4K video output, six audio channels, and cabin environment controls.
Cabin Digitalization Accelerates
According to Döge, the digitalization of aircraft cabins is now gathering greater momentum. LHT has a team of engineers entirely focused on investigating where technology needs to go next and being ready to accelerate the development of new products. She said they are monitoring adjacent industries, such as high-end cars and luxury homes, to make further progress in blending technology into aircraft interiors and ensuring that software updates can be easily implemented for aircraft operators.
“The software is getting more and more important to digitize every aspect of the cabin experience, and we are investing a lot to achieve a truly digital platform,” Döge explained. “We’re making it easier to update software than having to do it [on each individual aircraft] using a USB stick.”
LHT’s display at the Crystal Cabin Awards event during the AIX show features its new hidden touch displays that can be integrated seamlessly into cabin surfaces. The company is now working on plans to integrate this technology with other elements of its Nice portfolio.
Nice systems have been in service on multiple business and VVIP aircraft for the past 20 years and have been constantly evolving in terms of sophistication. However, reliability is as important for LHT and in this regard, Döge said she is proud that equipment installed on, for example, Bombardier Challenger 300s is still in service and being supported by the company even when out of production.
Part of its commitment to reliability and strong support via the global Lufthansa maintenance, repair, and overhaul network is based on LHT’s largely in-house supply chain. Subsidiary companies, including IDair and Avionic Design, are key suppliers and are also based in Hamburg, where the company has even directly sourced core components such as circuit boards.