The airplane concept with an 'underwater' cabin
Tamara Hardingham-Gill, CNN • Published 24th September 2021
(CNN) — Private jet passengers could soon be able to travel through the air and "underwater" at the same time thanks to a unique new cabin concept.
Aircraft overhaul and maintenance specialist Lufthansa Technik has just unveiled renderings for a new cabin design (pictured above) for the Airbus Corporate Jet ACJ330 that allows those on board to "discover the world" while en route.
The "Explorer" cabin concept takes inspiration from explorer superyachts, which tend to be either purpose built, or converted, in order to ensure long-distance cruising to isolated areas of the world.
Designed to accommodate around 10 to 16 passengers, its primary purpose is to provide the most positive passenger experience possible to those on board, according to the German company.
"Over the last few months we have intensively analyzed the visual context and the typical elements of the Explorer boat class in order to transfer the design idea behind it from the water to the air, and thus into a new cabin design," says Jan Grube, sales director at Lufthansa Technik's VIP & Special Mission Aircraft Services division.
"The interior elements, which also integrate brand-new features, are therefore deliberately kept multi-functional."
Projection system
Aside from the classic elements typically found on private jets, such as bedrooms, bathrooms, and even offices and dining areas, the "Explorer" design features a projection system that can cover the interior walls and ceilings with pretty much any type of setting those on board desire, including an underwater world.
While the finer details of the cabin concept are still being ironed out, the first renderings were displayed for potential buyers at this week's Monaco Yacht Show, which runs from September 22 to 25, and received strong interest from the market, according to the team at Lufthansa Technik. The final launch of the new cabin will take place at the 2021 Dubai Airshow in November.
Although the purpose of the design is merely to present the "technical and design possibilities" of the widebody cabin to customers, Lufthansa Technik say it would take between 18 to 24 months to fully design and complete this particular concept if a buyer were to order it directly from them.
The project comes as private jets continue to soar in popularity, with Florida-based private aviation company FlyEliteJets reporting a 150% rise in bookings since the start of the pandemic and global aviation company VistaJet logging a 65% increase in demand for global flight hours across its brands since last March.
And it's not just private charter flights that are soaring -- the number of private jet owners in the world is also rapidly increasing.
Last month, the International Aircraft Dealers Association reported a 52% increase in second-quarter sales, with members selling 320 pre-owned private jets in the second quarter of 2021, up from the 211 sold in the first three months of the year.
In fact, demand is so strong that there simply aren't enough jets available for the market.
A July report by jet broker Colibri Aircraft indicated that just 4.7% of pre-owned private jets were currently up for sale, the lowest amount since the 1980s.
Top image credit: Lufthansa Technik AG
