The aviation industry has been hit the hardest, arguably after the travel industry, during the pandemic. The crisis still continues, but one design company is trying to make commuting in midsize and super-midsize business jets more sustainable, comfortable, and luxurious, all in tune with the social distancing norms, which is practically the need of the hour.
Airgo Design plans to change the very interior fabric of the two categories of business flyers, which generally have 6-10 seats, with its new Supernova seats that convert into beds. The limited capacity of passengers onboard a private jet has been a worry and not given much heed previously, says AirGo’s cofounder Alireza Yaghoubi. This convertible seating solution that makes adequate use of space onboard is first very promising idea that can help increase the passenger count on business jets, he added.
Supernova cabin
Since the Supernova seats – more of a cabin per se – are designed for super-midsize and midsize business jets, it would, Airgo believes, best suit aircrafts such as the Gulfstream G280, Textron Cessna Longitude, Embraer Praetor 500, and the like.
Reportedly, the Gulfstream G280 is the first aircraft that could boast the Supernova cabin. It currently comes in 8 to 10 seat configuration featuring only four sleepers. With Supernova installed, all the seats could be sleepers now and as Yaghoubi says, the seats should be perfect for flights longer than 5 hours.
More details
The Supernova seats themselves are made from microfiber composite, which is 50-percent lighter than aluminum alloy yet almost equally affordable. Certified for use in aircraft interiors, the microfiber composite-based seats are rearranged in the business aircraft to increase the level of comfort and also the number of passengers on board.
According to Yaghoubi, use of Supernova seats can efficiently help double the number of passengers on these business aircrafts. In addition to efficiency and more seating, the Supernova cabin will provide everything required on a long flight, right from the bed to in-flight entertainment system, and from seating area to tray table and small drinks cooler.