Daily Memo: Cabin Design Makes Slow But Solid Progress Toward Sustainability

Given their faster development cycles, cabin interiors could already be far more sustainable than the airframes they are installed in or the engines they rely on.

Their designers could have adopted a cradle-to-grave approach for the seats, sidewalls, carpets, galleys, lavatories and—maybe with more difficulty—inflight entertainment systems. Smarter sourcing of materials could make reuse or recycling doable.

Over the average 22-year lifetime of an aircraft (a number Airbus disclosed in 2019), a cabin interior is refreshed several times, making the impact of a more sustainable design even greater.

In the absence of a regulation, the first mover would be at a competitive disadvantage because of the higher cost. That increase, however, would probably be acceptable, if one thinks of the little sensitivity of air travel demand to higher fuel prices.

Of course, fossil fuel consumption accounts for some 90% of an aircraft’s carbon footprint over a lifecycle. But the cabin represents 10% of the aircraft’s weight. And the tons of plastics a cabin refurbishment sends to the landfill make it worth thinking about differently.

At least, sustainability concerns are becoming more deeply rooted in the cabin interiors industry. The sector has been creating its own guidelines, thus making the concern omnipresent. Meanwhile, component manufacturers are working toward circularity, be it reuse or recycling. Ignoring sustainability in creating a new cabin is now a deliberate act.

Starting with seats, Airbus has created an eco-efficiency index. The idea is to enable the customer to compare seat models, Wolfgang Wohlers, Airbus’ SVP cabin and cargo program, said April 8 at Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg. Weight is the predominant factor in the index, due to its impact on fuel burn.

Simultaneously, the Green Cabin Alliance (GCA), a consortium of a dozen cabin design and manufacturing companies, has released a so-called Good Practice Guide. It focuses on circularity, data transparency and how to find a sustainable business model, thus contributing to making greener cabins a stronger trend. “We look at ways to reduce the environmental impact of what we do on a day-to-day basis,” said Belinda Mason, a color, material and finish designer at UK-based Avic Cabin Systems, at the Passenger Experience Conference (PEC) on April 7, also in Hamburg. “In 2021, the alliance was created because of the numerous questions being asked about cabin sustainability, and nothing seemed to be there to support.”

Airbus’ index and the GCA’s guide may help shape the industry’s future. A widebody consumes 75 metric tons of materials over its lifetime for cabin refresh, William McClintock, manager of the IBA Group consultancy, said at PEC.

For floor path emergency markings alone, Lufthansa Technik estimates the global annual waste to 10 metric tons, as carriers replace them every 6-7 years. The company is studying the next generation of such markings, where thermoplastic polyurethane would support colored glass tiles. Both color pigments could thus be recovered, while the support would be shredded and melted to create a new one, product manager Franziska Voerner said at AIX.

Also addressing the issue, Airbus has changed its material policy for cabins and allows suppliers to include up to 25% of recycled materials, instead of providing 100% new components, Wohlers said.

Leased aircraft represent the majority of the in-service fleet and those aircraft usually have their cabin interior replaced when they move to another operator. Lessors thus have a role to play, McClintock said. As for where to collect old cabin parts, aircraft undergoing refurbishment or dismantling are not so dispersed—the places where those operations take place are well known, Lisa Conway, chief revenue officer at leather recycling specialist Gen Phoenix, said at PEC. Gen Phoenix’ process re-creates leather-like seat covers.

Is going greener costly? Not always, Mason answered. Avoiding creating waste means better planning of material use, which may generate savings.