Plane of the future means bedtime stories from 30,000 feet
Airline passengers in 2050 will be able to read their children a bedtime story at home or attend virtual business meetings at 35,000 feet thanks to the creation of an “intelligent cabin interior”.
Airbus, who unveiled its vision of the future ahead of next week’s Paris Air show, painted a picture in which everyone on board would be pampered irrespective of how much they paid for a ticket.
In fact cabin classes will be consigned to history. Instead there will be personalised zones, tailored to individual passengers.
No longer will they feel trapped in a darkened tube, instead they will enjoy panoramic views of the skies above and the world below.
Flying fatigue will be a thing of the past, instead a “vitalising zone” will enable people to recharge their batteries so they arrive refreshed rather than exhausted at their destination.
The sense of well being will be enhanced by the use of aromatherapy, with stale cabin air being replaced by aromatherapy scents complete with antioxidants and vitamins being wafted across the plane.
Mood lighting will be used to make passengers feel better and instead of being squeezed into a one-size fits all seat, they will be enveloped in one which moulds to their body.
The seat will not only apply acupuncture but use the heat generated by the passenger to provide some of the power needed to fly the aircraft.
Airbus also believes that the plane of the future will no longer be isolated from the ground below, instead an interactive zone will use holograms to make it possible to play a game of virtual golf or even try on clothes in a virtual changing room.
The plane will, thanks to the use of new materials, be lighter, consume less fuel and have a far lower carbon footprint than aircraft in the skies today.
“Our research shows that passengers of 2050 will expect a seamless travel experience while also caring for the environment,” said Charles Champion, Airbus Executive Vice President Engineering,
“The Airbus Concept Cabin is designed with that in mind, and shows that the journey can be as much a voyage of discovery as the destination.”