Australian airline Qantas has unveiled the cabin designs for its upcoming fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. They have been designed with a view to maximizing passenger comfort on the long-distance routes on which they will operate.
The seats in business class are aimed at providing privacy, with dividers that can be adjusted as required. They can be converted into a fully-flat bed and, if the user wishes, kept reclined during take-off and landing. A "1-2-1 configuration" provides direct access to the aisle from each seat, and Qantas has sought to provide ample space for working and eating.
In economy class, the carrier says it has tried to provide more space and leg-room for passengers, with seats that recline an inch (2.3 cm) farther than on it A380 planes. Passengers will also benefit from larger HD touchscreens, personal device holders and USB ports.
More space for storing personal items has been included in the designs, along with lights that are set into the seat-backs, designed to minimize disturbance to other passengers. There's also a "footnet" in which passengers can rest their legs when sleeping. A Premium Economy cabin will be unveiled next year.
The Qantas Dreamliner will accommodate 236 passengers in total and company CEO Alan Joyce says its cabin design has been based, in part, on changing passenger preferences. "Many of the cabin design elements reflect what our customers have told us," he explains. "Personal storage rates really highly, so we've created extra space in Economy for customers to store their personal devices and water bottles."
Joyce also says that the plane has bigger windows, will help to reduce jetlag, is very quiet and features a system that smooths out turbulence. Qantas is due to put the Dreamliner 787-9 into service next year.
The video below provides an introduction to the Qantas Dreamliner.
Source: Qantas