On the move in a business jet: „Do you need an interior for meetings or for relaxation?“
Interior
Our business jet interior expert explains how we plan the interior design of your aircraft
Work or relaxation? Our Head of Interior Solutions reveals the secrets of cabin comfort.
How do you get the ideal business jet interior? Mark-André Mann, Head of Interior Solutions, has the answer.
In my professional life, I have already implemented many interior projects for business jets. And I learned very quickly that, despite the fact that aviation has so many technical regulations, no two business jets are alike. The reason for this is the personalities of the people who use these aircraft – individuals need individual environments in which to work and relax. Many customers are initially not really aware that the interior of a business jet is so versatile and customizable. And even if our customers are very familiar with private aircraft, we can almost always come up with surprising possibilities. But everything boils down to this one question: What else would you like to do with and in your business jet – apart from getting from A to B? I will write here about why this question is so important for its interior design.
Fast Lane: the most important part of the article – for those in a hurry
- Business jets must suit the personalities of their users.
- Users with different personalities use their business jets in different ways and therefore need their interior designs to be fundamentally different: functional, representative or completely comfortable.
- An interior solutions project at Aero-Dienst has a clear process, from kick-off to project acceptance.
- A core element of our project philosophy is to prepare decisions for you in a detailed and comprehensible manner. In this way, we reduce your workload during the project.
Do you have any questions? We look forward to hearing from you to clarify your exact requirements.
Mark-André Mann
Supervisor Interior Solutions
The business jet interior must suit the personality of the user
You just want to be mobile? And in the meantime perhaps go through the latest minutes of the Supervisory Board or prepare for the Annual General Meeting over a coffee? Then you need an ergonomically perfect seat and desk combination, as well as a stable internet connection with interfaces for linking various personal devices. Of course, we will discuss with you in detail how you can work with the utmost concentration and in a productive environment.
A business jet can be a flying conference room
But the interior of a business jet can also be particularly representative. This has nothing to do with vanity, but rather with how you might receive guests and business partners. This is the same reason we meet with customers and business partners in a representative environment rather than in the break room. So, if you also use your business jet to hold meetings and meet business partners, this should be reflected in the interior design.
We have gotten to know three aviation personalities through our long experience.
Although these personalities differ according to many personal preferences, we usually hear one of three main points in conversation:- For some people, their own business jet is a piece of work equipment for getting from point A to point B productively. The jet must be functional and needs fast internet, USB connections, a satellite phone and not much else.
- For others, it is a meeting room – and therefore must be both representative and inviting.
- A business jet is sometimes also a place of retreat between two on-site appointments, a place to decelerate. In that case perhaps we need a small sideboard, an entertainment station, a comfortable place to lie down, and a fluffy, warm carpet that you can walk on without shoes, just as you like to do in your living room at home.
The retreat of a falcon in two different styles.
An interior project for business jets at Aero-Dienst in 6 steps
Step 1: Kick-off meeting
At the beginning, we talk with you—casually and fundamentally. We want to find out what you desire and what you value. In short, we want to determine your needs. And if we notice potential for optimization, we will tell you a bit more about ourselves and what we can do. For example, we explain how we approach interior design and what our interior solutions look like.
During this conversation, we ask questions such as:
Don’t hesitate to bring us photos of designs or material samples that you like.
During this conversation, we ask questions such as:
- Do you plan to use the aircraft yourself or charter it out?
- Do you have specific ideas, photos, or design examples that you like?
- What are your next plans for the business jet?
- Are there any aspects of the cabin that consistently bother you?
- Do you like the seating position and comfort in the business jet?
- Do you like the lighting in the business jet? Keyword: mood lighting. The right lighting can positively affect our mood and even help mitigate jet lag.
- What do you primarily do on the aircraft—work or unwind? Is your business jet a flying office? If so, similar rules to office interior design apply. If you use business trips to relax, we recommend different materials.
- Do you fly long-haul and need the appropriate interior setup?
Don’t hesitate to bring us photos of designs or material samples that you like.
Step 2: Interior Survey
The interior survey is the assessment of the current condition of the entire cabin. An interior designer would probably refer to it as a potential analysis.
However, there are more restrictions in aviation than in classic interior design. This is because all aircraft types are certified in a specific configuration. The configuration dictates how the aircraft is laid out inside. This basic structure, also called the "layout," must generally remain unchanged—generally, as changes can be approved later. Therefore, cabins of common aircraft types do resemble each other, but they are by no means identical.
However, there are more restrictions in aviation than in classic interior design. This is because all aircraft types are certified in a specific configuration. The configuration dictates how the aircraft is laid out inside. This basic structure, also called the "layout," must generally remain unchanged—generally, as changes can be approved later. Therefore, cabins of common aircraft types do resemble each other, but they are by no means identical.
The survey can also be conducted directly at your location.
Step 3: Design Sheet
The result of our discussions with you is summarized in a design sheet. The design sheet is a document that reflects your wishes and needs for the aircraft interior design and translates them into the world of business jet interior design. Usually, you will receive initial visualizations, which we create digitally and with hand sketches. For this, we thoroughly photograph your aircraft and overlay samples and new designs onto the interior. This allows us to show the various possibilities in detail—side panels, floors, furniture, colors, lighting, dimming options for lights. For example, if you’re considering enhancing your existing seat cushion design with a diamond pattern, we can visualize that in the design sheet. This way, you can see how it looks in photos, which often gives a different impression than what we envision in our minds.
It is our job to create a concept that simply pleases you, even in the small details we haven’t discussed.
Step 4: Mood Board
For the mood board, we meet with you again in person. We are happy to visit you or welcome you here in Nuremberg. Then, you can closely examine the materials for your new business jet interior. We have a showroom here in Nuremberg, as well as mobile samples for you. Simply touch some of the fabrics: Do you like the texture? Is the material soft enough? We will show you leather, veneer, fabrics, upholstery, woods, carpets—everything we use in the implementation—directly on the objects. The board summarizes all the selected materials, providing an impression of the interplay between colors and materials. You can take the board home, reflect on it, and perhaps ask your partner for their opinion. If something doesn’t feel quite right, we can take another round and adjust the materials or colors according to your wishes.
The goal of the mood board is to let your aircraft interior design come together. Does the composition of materials and colors work? Can we implement it this way?
Step 5: We implement the interior design that we created together with you.
Now we have a clear goal in mind together. We will create an offer for you. We offer you the opportunity to be on-site during the implementation phase and directly oversee the modifications. We work closely with local upholsterers, leather specialists, carpenters, surface finishers, and engineering offices, without burdening you with regulatory details.
If maintenance or painting work is also taking place on the aircraft, this helps our clients stay productive while being well-informed. If you or your representatives cannot be here, we regularly send status reports. This way, you will know where we stand, what we are doing, and how things look, including photos. This also allows you to intervene directly if something doesn’t match your expectations.
If maintenance or painting work is also taking place on the aircraft, this helps our clients stay productive while being well-informed. If you or your representatives cannot be here, we regularly send status reports. This way, you will know where we stand, what we are doing, and how things look, including photos. This also allows you to intervene directly if something doesn’t match your expectations.
We are happy to provide you with an office here in Nuremberg. This way, you can permanently monitor the process and follow all modifications directly on the aircraft.
Step 6: We hand over your business jet with its new interior.
At the end, we will give you a detailed overview of everything we’ve done. And when everything meets your expectations, we will hand over the aircraft to you. Of course, it will be clean and not without a little pride.
It is important that we keep you involved throughout the journey to the new interior design, even if you are not on-site.
Many customers are amazed at what is possible today in the field of business jet interiors
Interior design is fundamentally of great importance, because this is the area where you will be during the flight. The effort it takes to change the design is underestimated.At the end of the process, the interior design of the business jet must please its owner and user, purely visually. But the business jet must also be practical to use. That is, suitable for everyday use. This means that, like a car and an apartment, the interior of a business jet has two dimensions: form and function, or aesthetic and pragmatic.
Like interior designers, we consider both. If you don't have a concrete idea, like a seating pattern in mind, then let's just talk to each other first. We won't annoy you then with aviation laws and certification regulations but will listen to you in detail.
Our first conversation with you is a bit like the Socratic method: We help you find out what you actually want and what is possible – because you often don't even know yourself what is possible.
An interior design for a Bombardier Global Jet:
There are also business jet interiors that facilitate wellness. Light and sound in particular can change the mood in a business jet.
A stone floor in a business jet?
Yes, that's possible.
A stone floor provides a particularly upscale appearance. Real stone is simply unique as a material; each stone floor is a unique piece. It is a natural product that perfectly combines resilience and individual appearance. With a stone floor, a synthesis is created that many do not expect in a business jet.The stone floor is processed to a thickness that has no influence on the performance of the aircraft. As much real stone as necessary, as thin as possible.
Stone floor in a business jet (©Aero-Dienst)
With stone flooring, we serve aesthetics and pragmatics in equal measure: Stone looks upscale and representative and is hard-wearing.
If you already have concrete design ideas yourself, we will implement them and consistently develop your idea further.
We are happy to make technically possible what is already in your head. Here, too, we consistently reduce complexity in interior design: We tell you what works and what doesn't, where the limit is and where we are only close to it. In this way we can also directly implement and further develop various templates, samples and drawings that customers bring to us. These can be pictures, the customer’s own sketches or simply a few adjectives.One customer already came to us with his car and said: “Transfer that to my business jet“ What a great project.
All materials for the aircraft interior must be approved for aviation – that's a challenge.
In aircraft, this applies to smoke and fire protection, crash safety, electrostatic shielding and much more. But don't worry about this, either in advance or while we are working for you.
And we also know exactly what is possible. We will always find alternative materials that are approved. Now, anything that is somehow a "substitute" sounds a little negative, but that is not the case here. There are many alternatives that are really tactile and visual equivalents. Of course, we will inform you about them.
In addition, we can also often get materials certified, and then you will definitely be the first to have this material in your business jet.
We prepare decisions for you
We get to know you well throughout the entire process, from planning to interior refurbishment, i.e. the crafting of your interior design. In case of unexpected problems, we provide equally possible solutions at the same time. We leave out options that we know have no added value for you. We never leave you alone when you are making a decision. We immediately provide the context so that you make the decision you are confident about, so that it is the easiest possible decision for you.
Materials from our showroom (©Aero-Dienst)
We will gladly protect you from the complexity of aviation regulations. We know that you have other things on your mind.
A good interior designer knows what you want – sometimes before you know it
Surely we could also say: A good business jet is equally suitable for relaxing and working. But perhaps it is not so black and white. You can work in a comfortable atmosphere, perhaps read minutes while you’re completely relaxed. We will find out what exactly makes the interior design in a business jet ideal for you and only for you. The secret of good cabin comfort is quite simple: We need to know exactly who needs it. For you, this only means that we have to talk to each other. And we look forward to hearing one thing from our customers every time: “Yes, that's exactly what I need.”
Learn more about us here or read in our INSIGHTS
The interior of a Challenger 650 (©Aero-Dienst)
You just want to fly well? Save time, have a coffee? We have been accomplishing this for decades.
If you want to modernise the cabin of your business jet, we should talk.
