Charles Alcock is managing editor of the AIN Media Group, having rejoined the company in 2019. He has been an aviation journalist since 1986, and previously worked for AIN from 1990 to 2017, most recently as editor-in-chief. His main focus is on covering new aviation technology and business models, as well as international news.
Having been raised in the London area, Alcock studied at the University of Manchester in the UK and earned an honors degree in Politics and Modern History. He speaks English and French, and some German.

Managing Editor

Charles Alcock

Jet Aviation has delivered a VIP-configured aircraft that it says features the quietest cabin its completions team has yet produced. On Tuesday, the company reported that its facility in Basel, Switzerland, had achieved sound levels below 40 dB SIL (speech interference level) for an Airbus ACJ twinjet.
The cabin interior of the narrowbody bizliner featured special sound-dampening materials developed by Jet Aviation’s engineers. These were installed using techniques that reduced the level of sound emitted from the various cabin interior fittings and structures, according to the business aviation services group.
To be certain it had achieved its sound level targets, Jet Aviation developed its own acoustic laboratory. It uses this in conjunction with various techniques to achieve the right balance in sound and weight, as well as new technologies to assess different materials for their acoustic properties.
In addition to the VIP areas of the cabin, where the area around the principle’s seat has the lowest noise levels, the aircraft’s cabin features four first-class suites, with lie-flat seats. The cabin also features curved ceilings over 2.1 meters (6 feet 11 inches) in height and has four flexible OLED entertainment system displays fitted flush to the sidewalls.
Featured in the cabin interior is a mix of colors drawing on soft tones of cream and beige, accented with mother-of-pearl sinks, silk carpets, and gold surfaces. The bulkhead of the main cabin is decorated with a custom-designed embroidered silk bulkhead.
According to Christoph Fondalinski, Jet Aviation’s vice president of completions, this is the second aircraft it has delivered to the private customer. This narrowbody interior is quieter than its predecessor thanks to advances in technology.
“It is always very rewarding when a customer returns to us with the challenge of beating our own records,” said Jet Aviation’s head of engineering, Florent Klinger. “To achieve below 40 dB SIL in a narrowbody aircraft is an incredible achievement. We could not do this without the close collaboration we have with our in-house teams, all of whom contributed by continuing our acoustics work, finding new ways of fitting interior systems to reduce noise, exploring new sound-dampening materials, and utilizing our 47 years of experience in VVIP completions.”

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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