Meeting NAG Special Interest Group on circular cabin interior

The goal of the meeting was to identify opportunities for cooperation to reduce the environmental impact from the cabin. Cabin interiors parts and components often do not last a full aircraft life. Parts fail and must be repaired or replaced. But also return to the lessor or cabin upgrades for commercial reasons lead to replacing equipment like seats or modifications of modules and panels. Also, the catering of food and beverages to passengers leads to a return flow of materials. Due to all kinds of requirements like cabin and fire safety finding alternatives is not an easy job.

In other words: there is world to win if we can join forces to find more recyclable or circular solutions. The participating NAG members however cover the full life cycle from materials to end of life solutions and from research & development, design, and certification to end users. This makes this team well positioned to create disruptive solutions.

A brainstorm session combined with a visit to a KLM Boeing 787 in a C-check produced several concrete ideas that we will start to work on soon. This theme of the Cabin of the Future will also be addressed in the upcoming General Assembly meeting of the NLG at KLM in May.