Hot off the show floor, Stelia Aerospace (Airbus Atlantic) launched a new seat today – the Opera Essential
The seat has come from two years of a thorough lifecycle analysis and environmental impact assessment inspired by its elder sibling OPERA SA, (Single-Aisle) the design approach of OPERA ESSENTIAL gravitates around 4 key pillars: Mass optimisation, streamlined electrical components, incorporation of recycled and recyclable materials, all while upholding the luxurious comfort of a Business Class Long Range seat.
This new design notably includes the removal of the electrical actuator and the ECU, which not only reduces the seat weight and its environmental impact, but also offers passengers full control of their comfort, with an infinite number of positions and a faster switchover to full flat bed mode.
It is built on five principls
- Sustainable Design:From thermoset to thermoplastics composite shells, and bio leather introduction, every component of OPERA ESSENTIAL is selected for its environmental impact, promoting circularity and recycling.
- Weight Reduction: Through advanced engineering and design, OPERA. ESSENTIAL boasts a 30% reduction in weight compared to OPERA SA, ensuring a premium experience and more living space, while minimising fuel consumption and emissions – with weight starting at 65Kg.
- Fast Kinetic Principle: OPERA ESSENTIAL features a patented, dynamic system that eliminates unnecessary cables and electronics, making it fully autonomous and environmentally efficient while offering an infinity of positions and a seamless comfort.
- Drastic Reduction of Maintenance costs, due to less parts and electronics.
- Optimised comfort, with a spacious full flat-bed offering plenty of living space, a direct window view and a sizable ottoman.
In trying
I’ve had a play of this today, with the seat being demonstrated at AIX. As you can see, in this configuration, it is a business class seat, in the classic layout we’ve come to know.
Ah the head end is a Tablet holder, with USB outlets
The seat itself is comfortable with the materials used, with the kinetic motion actuator being… interesting to use. There is a small learning angle to it, but its easy to control, and deploy the seat into various comfort positions.
When the tray table is deployed, it becomes easy to put a smartphone in a slot to act as a holder if you desire the multi-screen experience.
In Quotes
Thierry Kanengieser, VP of Cabin Interior at STELIA Aerospace said
“At STELIA Aerospace, we are not only engineers but also stewards of the environment. Our ambition with OPERA® ESSENTIAL is to offer a sustainable Premium seating solution that exceeds both passenger expectations and industry standards,”
“By prioritising environmental responsibility and passenger comfort, we are redefining the future of air travel.”
We’ll have more thoughts about the Opera Essentials in the next few days – suffice to say, I can think of a lot of places this could work, as the industry continues to seek to reduce its carbon outputs. Having lower-weight seats – something that will be on the aircraft for the majority of its life – will help in reducing the fuel burn.
Economy Class and Beyond was a guest of Stelia Aerospace at Aircraft Interiors Expo.
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