The cabin can contribute between 10-20% to the aircraft’s overall environmental impact during its lifecycle, according to Airbus.Courtesy of Airbus
- Airbus has unveiled its Airspace Cabin Vision 2035+ in a May 30 presentation.
- The plane maker is relying on a circular economy to make its new cabins lighter and less wasteful.
Airbus has unveiled its vision for a more sustainable aircraft cabin, as airlines labor to reduce their emissions, hoping to fully decarbonize aviation by 2050.
The cabin contributes to up to 20% of an aircraft's environmental impact during its lifecycle, according to a May 30 presentation. The largest plane maker in the world wants to tackle that by reducing cabin weight, using lighter materials and designs, and getting rid of waste by encouraging recycling and getting passengers to pre-order meals.
In the future, Airbus hopes to integrate the new cabins in its hydrogen-powered planes.
Take a look at Airspace Cabin Vision 2035+:
Airspace Cabin Vision 2035+ is Airbus' concept for the future of its aircraft cabins.
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Decarbonization and circularity are at the core of the vision.
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Part of the plan is to use lighter materials and designs...
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...that could reduce the cabin's weight by up to 40%.
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The new materials would be easier to be recycled, reused, and repaired during the aircraft's lifecycle.
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Passengers could access information about the materials through QR codes.
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By 2025, Airbus wants to provide transparency on the environmental impact of cabin parts and operations.
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And by 2030, Airbus wants to introduce new, more sustainable designs and materials.
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The cabins would function according to the concept of circular economy.
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Circular economy is an economic system built on the reuse of materials or products.
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Water used in the bathroom sink, for example, would be reused to flush the toilets.
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Airbus hopes to have cabins based on a fully developed circular economy starting in 2035.
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The company also envisions new catering options.
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On long-haul flights, passengers would pre-order meals.
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On short-haul flights, they would pick up their snacks at the gate...
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...before boarding.
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This could reduce food waste and weight by up to 15%.
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The whole experience, from boarding to accessing information about the cabin's components, relies on digitization.
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In the future, Airbus hopes to integrate the new cabins in the hydrogen-powered aircraft it's developing.
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Airbus is working on three hydrogen planes and plans to mature all the required hydrogen technologies by 2025.
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The hydrogen-powered aircraft could enter commercial operations in 2035.
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