A multi-engine, instrument rated pilot, James Wynbrandt has been an AIN and Business Jet Traveler contributor since 2003. His in-depth reporting and insightful features have won more than a dozen editorial honors, including two National Business Aviation Association Gold Wing Awards (2019; 2021), and his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, Barron’s, Fortune, Forbes, and Smithsonian Air &amp; Space. He has flown his Mooney M20K 252 on assignments throughout North and Central America and the Caribbean. Wynbrandt is also the author of Flying High (Wiley &amp; Sons), a biography of Jet Blue founder David Neeleman, as well as histories, references works, and books on a variety of other topics from major publishers. He lives in New York City.

Contributor - Business Aviation

James Wynbrandt

Narrow- and wide-body completion specialist Haeco Private Jet Solutions (HPJS, Stand 728) of Xiamen, China is debuting here at MEBAA a new cabin concept, Zen, designed for the Airbus A320neo and showcased in a 1/20th-scale mockup at the company’s display area.

 


Incorporating the colors, motifs and themes of four seasons, Zen is “minimalist, modern and stylish, a retreat from the busy hustle and bustle for a billionaire,” said Henry Chan, the company’s vice-president, commercial. “Central to our design is bringing the philosophy of Asian heritage and culture into what is otherwise a very cold and mundane cabin.”

 


The four seasons motif is carried throughout the interior, starting with the galley in front, with lotus patterns on the wall and carpet symbolizing summer. Cabin dividers incorporate large circular openings, giving the interior an expansive, open feel. The forward lounge area, done in light green tones with decorative cherry blossom patterns, symbolizes spring, while the dining area in mid cabin uses chrysanthemums, for autumn.

 


Most unique is the Tatami Room, aft of the dining area, centered by a high-low table that can be lowered completely into the floor. “We enable the room to be multi-functional and-multi usable, whether for meditation or casual meetings or lying around,” said Chan. “It’s a refuge where the principal can really get away from it all.”

 


The private bedroom rest area and rear bathroom, with plum blossoms and white palette, symbolizes winter.

 


The design team’s Lead Engineer, Jack Xia, who is here at the show, called working on the interior “a dream.”

 


While Haeco can turn the Zen interior concept into a reality for any interested customer, it’s intended to suggest ideas from which a personalized interior can be created.

 


“I don’t know 100 percent of what my wife wants, let alone a billionaire,” said Chan. “If they like 50 percent of the elements, that’s a great place to start and get people talking.”

 


Here in Dubai, “We’re in discussions with various Middle East operators to really understand their needs, and ultimately come up with solution that is different from the rest, at a cost that is more attractive,” he said.

 


Haeco has complete back shop capabilities to handle cabinetry, veneer work, upholstery, leatherwork, plating and other interior outfitting needs in-house. It also has the engineering and certification capabilities required to receive regulatory approvals for its completion work. Chan pointed out that most certification efforts today focus on meeting FAA and EASA regulations, but China’s GAAC certification requirements are a growing factor in completions work, and “our group is the only one that can deliver all three.”

 


HPJS is also the only authorized completion facility in the Asia Pacific region for both Airbus and Boeing. This year it was named an Airbus Center Network Service Provider—one of only two in Asia—to address service bulletins and provide modification work for airliners operating in the region. But completions are where the company’s multiple capabilities are most sharply focused, and the direction to which it remains committed. “We want a modern, stylish, comfortable cabin for very busy executives to enjoy the aircraft while they’re aboard—that’s the bottom line,” said Chan. “We’re in it for the long term, no question about that, and we will continue to innovate, and showcase very stylish and individualistic design.”

News and developments about everything that goes into the cabin of an aircraft, from floor coverings to headliners, with a special emphasis on in-flight entertainment, communications and other electronics for passengers. If it is in the cabin of an aircraft, it’s covered here.

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