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44 Aircraft Interiors International June 2007

Naresh Goyal, the London-based Indian entrepreneur and chairman of India's fastest growing airline, Jet Airways, has set himself his most ambitious target to date. During a recent press conference in London to announce an aggressive US$3.7 billion investment programme, which includes the order of 30 new

long-haul aircraft and the complete refurbishment of its on-board products and services, Goyal spelt out his desire to transform Jet Airways into a top five global carrier, capable of rivalling the likes of Emirates and Singapore Airlines.

“When we began our journey in 1993, the mission we set ourselves was to become India’s first-choice domestic carrier,” he said. “We have largely fulfilled that mission. Our objective now is to become one of the best five airlines in the world, and be the first-choice airline on all the routes that we fly into and out of India in the next five years.”

wIll US$3.7 bIllIon of InveStment In new AIrcrAft And InterIorS be enoUgh to propel jet AIrwAyS Into the world'S top fIve AIrlIneS?

jet,setandmatch?

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Jetairways

Jetairways

June 2007 Aircraft Interiors International 47

1. with 26ft2 of space and a comfortable ‘buddy’ seat, the first-class suite doubles up as a meeting room in the sky

Major investment In a first across all UK-to-India routes, the airline has launched exclusive ‘private suites’ in first class, supplied by B/E Aerospace, as well as new flat beds in Première (business class) from Contour, and Recaro’s all-composite, single-beam CL3610 seat in economy.

The new products entered service in May 2007 on the London Heathrow-Mumbai route, when the airline received the first of 20 new wide-bodied aircraft – a Boeing 777-300ER (B777). Jet’s 777s are configured with a three-class cabin scheme, with eight first-class seats, 30 Première seats and 274 in economy. Meanwhile, the airline has also received its first A330-200, which features a two-class cabin, with 30 seats in Première and 190 in economy, and will fly between London and Delhi. The new cabins will be rolled out on all of Jet Airways’ 27 weekly flights from London Heathrow to major cities in India (Mumbai, Delhi, Amritsar and Ahmedabad) over the next two years, as nine further B777 aircraft and 10 Airbus A330-200 aircraft are delivered.

Jet holds options to buy further aircraft of each type, and has recently purchased 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, with deliveries commencing in 2011. The carrier will also start flying between India and the USA (via Brussels) from August 2007.

“The new cabins represent an exciting leap forward in our expansion plans,” reveals Goyal. “The seats are at the cutting-edge of airline design technology and promise to surpass the very best of the British and international competition for

comfort, luxury and style. We have spent more than two years designing each cabin, and are confident in saying that the flying experience on Jet Airways will be the very best in the air.”

Beyond new aircraft, routes and interiors, the airline has also updated its corporate identity with a new brand mark and aircraft livery, designed in cooperation with Landor’s London office. “While we have retained the golden ‘flying sun’ on the vertical stabiliser of our aircraft, it has been significantly enhanced using new decal technology from Europe,” explains Jet Airways VP, marketing, Gaurang Shetty. “Rather than appearing as a single colour painted on the tail of the aircraft, the decal technology has allowed us to create a multi-hued golden sun that appears to shine and sparkle.”

To complete the look, leading Italian fashion designer, Roberto Capucci, has created a stylish uniform for air and ground crew, bringing together Eastern and Western cultures using elegant tailoring, rich colours and a chic modern design that reflects the spirit of a new India.

First class This is the first time Jet Airways has offered a first-class service, and each B777 will feature eight suites offering the ultimate in luxury travel. The suites have been designed to be a ‘home away from home’ and will provide more than 26ft2 of space, featuring dual sliding doors to create a feeling of absolute privacy. Each seat within extends into a fully flat 83in bed, and includes variable lumbar support and an

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Jetairways

2. première features 30 lie-flat seats in a herringbone layout

eight-point massage system. Each suite includes a 23in flat-screen monitor and generous storage areas, including a personal hanging wardrobe, as well as a dual credenza and an ottoman.

Travellers can also enjoy dinner for two in the privacy of their own suite. The menu choices are extensive and served on hand-painted Bernardaud porcelain dinnerware. The finest of champagnes, including vintage Dom Perignon and Krug, as well as the best wines from around the world and a library of single malt whiskies, are served in Mikasa crystal glasses.

“Mr Goyal was very involved from the start,” reveals Nigel Goode, senior partner at design agency, Priestman Goode, which worked with Jet Airways and B/E Aerospace on the development of the first-class suite. “He was constantly saying he wanted the best – everybody says that of course, but you really got the sense that he wanted to make his mark and didn't want to skimp on things – after all, this is an airline that serves Dom Perignon to its passengers.”

Beyond the bubbly, a sense of space and privacy was deemed essential to delivering true first-class luxury: “We wanted to give the passenger a very private environment, hence why we developed the individual suites, but we also tried to maximise the space within as much as possible, by keeping things simple,” continues Goode. “Obviously it’s got to be luxurious, but not too ostentatious with unnecessary bells and whistles.

We also wanted the buddy seat to be a seat in its own right, rather than just a tiny perch.”

The team opted for pocket doors for each of the suites, to lessen the impact on the overall cabin. “In a small cabin space these things can be quite overpowering, so we spent a lot of time working with 3D models and mock-ups in foam and card to get the right level of privacy, but not total enclosure or anything too claustrophobic,” adds Goode.

“We also chose the materials very carefully – we used raw silk, supplied by Tapis, on the wall coverings within the suite, as well as Indian rosewood veneer on the table and cabinet.”

Première The airline’s new Première cabin, on board both its Boeing B777-300ER and Airbus A330-200 aircraft, features 30 seats in a herringbone configuration. For the B777-300 aircraft, the outboard and centreline seats are set at the same angle of 35.5°, and at a pitch of 49in. For the A330-200s, Première outboard seats are installed at 46°, with a seat pitch of 39in, while the centreline seats are set at 40°, and at a pitch of 44in between each privacy screen.

Each seat is designed to maximise comfort and sleep, with 35in of shoulder room, 33in of hip space and a generous 73in-long fully flat bed. A 44in divider screen ensures passengers enjoy an increased level of privacy; and an oversized table,

Picture perfect

First-class passengers control their seat and overall suite environment via a dedicated, tethered touch-screen unit: “We designed the control unit and graphical user interface to be as simple as possible,” explains Nigel Goode of Priestman Goode. “An awful lot of airlines are going down this route and the temptation is to make it a mini computer – but the goal should be to make it simple and easy to operate. As such, we used pictures instead of words as much as we could when designing the interface.”

Jet Airways’ new 777s and A330s also feature Panasonic’s eX2 IFE system, which provides passengers in every class with over 200 hours of programming, including more than 75 Hollywood, Bollywood, international cinema and Indian regional movies, and over 55 TV programmes. There are also nine exclusive audio compilations, 85 audio CDs, and the Jet Airways Jukebox, which allows passengers to create their own playlists of up to 200 tracks. A digital library of over 100 management books and 20 Berlitz World Traveller language tutorials provide further distraction.

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Jetairways

laptop power, telephony, SMS, email and live text news provide Premiere passengers with an ‘office in the sky’. When relaxing, passengers can enjoy the IFE system via a 15.4in screen, or help themselves to food and drink during the flight at a dedicated bar.

The Première seats are based on Contour’s Solar Eclipse model, already in service with Air Canada, and on order with Delta. However, at 23in wide, Jet’s units are 3in wider than their American counterparts, with the increase in width triggering a substantial redesign. “They wanted it wider, with a bigger monitor and a different IFE system,” explains John McKeever of design agency, Acumen, which was called in to handle the details. “Widening the seat opened up a gap, so we had to redesign the shape of the cocktail area and the lower furniture to close out that gap,” he continues. “We also had to raise the height of the shroud by 3in to fit the 15in monitor that they wanted. For Air Canada and Delta, the monitor faces inwards, but Jet wanted the monitors to face out when in the stowed position, so they could be used to welcome passengers when they first board – we therefore had to introduce a monitor arm that had a dual pivot on it.”

Acumen also worked on the colour and trim, receiving direct input from the very top. “We worked directly with Mr and Mrs Goyal to develop the fabric – it’s not often that you get to work that closely with the chairman of the airline – most of the design meetings were at his house in Regents Park,” reveals McKeever. The result is a pale terracotta paisley fabric on the seats, with maroon and beige furniture accents.

Première includes a dedicated self-service bar, which features an ice bucket underlit with an LED – the melted ice drains directly down into the aircraft drainage system, a first for a commercial jet. The bar also features a backlit panel made out of PPSU, a new transparent material, with an ethnic pattern engraved on its surface.

Last but not least Jet is also treating its economy passengers to the latest in seating comfort – the airline is the launch customer for Recaro’s innovative CL3610 seat, which, as a result of its single-beam construction, delivers 32in of leg room. The seat also features a cradle mechanism: as the backrest reclines, the unit moves forward to create a recline angle of 130º, reducing sinew, joint and muscle tensions. In addition, a hammock style head rest cradles and supports the head and neck, while a net suspended below the seat in front provides support for feet and ankles.

It remains to be seen whether the airline will fulfill its ambition to break into the top five by 2010, however in terms of product alone, the carrier has certainly made a bold state-ment of intent. “It’s up there with the big boys,” reckons McKeever. “It’s probably the best airline I’ve ever flown on for quality and level of service, and there’s no reason why in a few years they couldn’t be competing with the world’s best.” END

Contact Gaurang Shetty, vice-president of marketing, Jet Airways, Tel: +91 22 2920 8729, Email: gshetty@jetairways.com, Web: www.jetairways.com

3. première passengers can help themselves to food and drinks throughout the flight – bar unit shown is for jet’s A330s

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Jet Airways at a glance

• The airline is spending US$3.7 billion on 30 new aircraft (10 A330-200s, 10 B777-300ERs and 10 B787s), plus new interiors

• Jet Airways’ first class, only available on its new B777-300ERs, features eight individual suites that offer 26ft2 of space and dual sliding doors for maximum privacy

• The first-class seat converts into an 83in flat bed, while the suite includes a 23in monitor, wardrobe and ottoman

• Première (business class) boasts 30 seats, installed in a herringbone configuration

• Each Première seat converts into a 73in flat bed, which is 35in wide at the shoulder and 33in wide at the hip

• Economy seating features 32in pitch and cradle support for the head, neck and feet