The jury at the Institut Français du Design (French Institute of Design) has awarded its ‘Janus Label of Excellence’ to the Skylounge Core business class seat, due for launch in 2019. The seat, designed by Safran Seats (previously Zodiac Seats), was deemed to meet all five of the ‘E’ criteria required to earn the excellence label, being economical, esthetic, ergonomic, ethical, and emotional.
The Skylounge Core seat is optimized for use on the Airbus A330 and Boeing 787, offering a spacious living environment, measuring 20in across, with a flat bed surface. The streamlined controls are designed to be ergonomic for ease of use, with several storage compartments and a versatile space for dining, working or leisure. Safran Seats also offers ‘multiple opportunities’ for customization, so airlines can convey their brand image and identity.
The industrial design, engineering and industrialization teams at Safran Seats developed new production processes for the composite materials that comprise the shell of the seat. Production has improved in quality, maturity and speed, thanks in particular to what Safran says is a “significant” number of parts shared between versions.
Safran Seats CEO, Vincent Mascré stated, “This award highlights the excellence of the engineering teams at Safran Seats and is a strong reflection of our capacity for innovation on behalf of our customers and the passenger experience.”