The prestigious Crystal Cabin Award, renowned for its recognition of excellence in cabin technology and passenger experience, was bestowed during a gala dinner in Hamburg, Germany. Among the recipients of the Crystal Cabin Award 2024 were Safran Cabin, Accenture GmbH, Thales Avionics, Factorydesign, Collins Aerospace, and Tongji University. Notably, Diehl Aviation was honored with the Crystal Cabin Award in two categories – “Passenger Comfort” and “Sustainable Cabin”.
Chosen by a panel of 28 industry experts, these eight groundbreaking products stood out among numerous submissions for their innovation and impact. Collectively, they offer a glimpse into a future of air travel that is more interconnected, comfortable, sustainable, and inclusive than ever before.
Winners – Crystal Cabin Award 2024
- Material and Components
STARLight, developed by Collins Aerospace, represents a structural technology employing sophisticated composite designs, robotic production methods, and eco-friendly materials to diminish the weight of aircraft components while simultaneously reducing manufacturing expenses. This innovative solution empowers airlines to meticulously design cabin layouts without augmenting the aircraft’s overall weight, while also delivering superior thermal and acoustic insulation properties.
- Cabin Concepts: Factorydesign, Coop. BermudAir
The BermudAir Aisle Class Suite introduces a business class seating option tailored for single-aisle aircraft serving routes from the USA to Bermuda. By transforming existing 2-2 economy seats into a 1-1 suite configuration, this innovative solution achieves exceptional cost-efficiency and sustainability, with more than 70 percent of the original seats being repurposed. Rather than developing entirely new seats, the approach involves refurbishing the existing ones to enhance comfort and introduce additional storage capacity.
- Sustainable Cabin: Diehl Aviation “ECO Sidewall
Diehl Aviation introduces the ECO Sidewall, an innovative and eco-efficient concept that establishes new benchmarks in sustainable aviation. By leveraging lightweight materials and cutting-edge design, Diehl Aviation has achieved a remarkable 10 percent reduction in the sidewall’s weight, resulting in a 19 percent decrease in CO2 footprint during production and a 10 percent reduction in CO2 emissions during operation. Furthermore, advanced technologies have enabled a reduction of more than a third in waste from prepreg blanks. This comprehensive approach positions the ECO Sidewall as an exceptionally environmentally friendly solution, meeting customer demands for sustainable products and processes. Recognizing this achievement, the Crystal Cabin Award 2024 jury bestowed the prestigious honor upon the ECO Sidewall.
- IFEC and Digital Services: Thales Avionics “FlytEdge”
FlytEdge, developed by Thales Avionics, marks the inaugural cloud-based and inherently digital in-flight entertainment (IFE) solution. This platform facilitates swift integration of any web application, encompassing streaming services, and provides complete remote operation, allowing for software and content updates from any location at any time. With its pioneering technologies like edge caching and cross-content recommendations, FlytEdge ensures full autonomy for airlines and fosters ongoing evolution. This revolutionary solution streamlines airline operations while elevating the passenger experience.
- Cabin Systems: Safran Cabin “theCUBE”
Safran’s galley waste disposal unit, theCUBE, offers seamless integration into any available space within the galley, and its operation is effortlessly managed by cabin crew through a simple door closure mechanism. Featuring a plug-and-play design and utilizing the standard ARINC rail, installation and removal are straightforward, streamlining maintenance and providing airlines with added flexibility. theCUBE boasts a 30 percent reduction in water usage per flush compared to conventional disposal units and incorporates automatic activation of UV light for odor control and bacteria prevention upon closure. This ensures a more streamlined, efficient, and hygienic waste disposal system onboard aircraft.
- Passenger Comfort: Diehl Aviation, Coop. Qantas Airways Ltd “The Wellbeing Zone”
Under “Project Sunrise,” Qantas intends to revolutionize the iconic Kangaroo route, enabling passengers to travel non-stop from London to Sydney within a single day. These direct flights between Sydney, London, and New York are poised to establish unprecedented benchmarks for ultra-long-haul travel, prioritizing passenger comfort and well-being. The groundbreaking Wellbeing Zone features evidence-based wellness amenities, biorhythm-optimized lighting, and genuine glass doors. Accessible to all passengers, this zone promotes healthy eating habits, provides opportunities for physical activity, and garnered praise from the jury for its innovative approach to enhancing comfort during ultra-long flights.
- Health & Safety: Accenture GmbH “Accenture PED safety bag”
The Accenture Personal Electronic Device (PED) safety bag sets a new standard as the first to meet the rigorous UL 5800 Performance Level 1 certification, guaranteeing complete containment of fire, smoke, and toxic gases in the event of lithium battery failure. With the proliferation of personal electronic devices and increasing incidents of lithium battery-related fires on aircraft, this bag offers dual-layer protection: an inner layer to shield against flames and heat, and an outer layer to prevent smoke infiltration into the cabin. Intelligent insulation ensures that the outer surface temperature of the bag remains below 85°C. The jury was impressed by the bag’s ability to enable an aircraft to continue flying safely for up to six hours in the event of a burning PED before reaching an airport.
- University winners: Tongji University, Coop. Dupont “Flexifold”
Tongji University in Shanghai has developed the “Flexifold,” an innovative economy seat that presents airlines with increased flexibility and potential for new revenue streams. Featuring a folding and snapping mechanism, it offers efficient body support. This design seamlessly integrates lightweight construction and comfort, incorporating three cushions for customizable privacy, recline angle, and footrest, which can be effortlessly added to existing seats. As the aviation industry continues to navigate unprecedented challenges and opportunities, the innovations showcased at the 2024 Crystal Cabin Awards offer a glimpse into the future of air travel—one that is marked by ingenuity, sustainability, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. With each new concept and design, airlines are poised to redefine the passenger experience and usher in a new era of aviation that is as transformative as it is inspiring.
