Aerospace Engineering Solutions (AES), a leading specialist in aircraft design and certification, is thrilled to announce the successful completion and approval from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) No. 10085153. This STC enables a complete business-class only cabin reconfiguration on an Airbus A321 aircraft.

Headquartered in the UK, with additional operations in Spain and Ireland, AES’s Design Organisation Approval (DOA) team was contracted by beOnd, the world’s first premium leisure airline, to develop a modification that introduces a cabin layout using 34 business class seats, generating a 68-passenger seating configuration. The lie-flat seat motion system is a standout feature in the narrow-body aircraft market.

Key modifications include:

• Installation of Optimares Vivaldi lie-flat business class seats
• Integration of the seat motion power system
• Installation of 110V AC and USB Type C In-Seat Power Supply System
• Rearrangement of cabin monuments
• Door 3 exit type re-assigned from Type I to Type III
• Rearrangement of Passenger Service Units (PSUs)
• Reconfiguration of emergency equipment and emergency path lighting
• Updated placards
• New carpet and cabin attendant seat covers
• On-site cabin inspections

In addition to the interior reconfiguration, AES also provided the EASA-approved Part 21J technical data package to accomplish beOnd’s stunning signature dark grey and copper livery.

Commenting on this achievement, Andrew Dolby, Director at Aerospace Engineering Solutions, said:

“This latest STC approval reflects our commitment to excellence and reinforces our position as a leader in aircraft cabin reconfigurations. Our team demonstrated exceptional resourcefulness and dedication, overcoming challenges related to material and parts procurement, all while working within a tight time schedule to ensure that the modification was completed and approved on time for our customer. We are thrilled to have partnered with beOnd on their new aircraft and deliver a configuration that will enhance the passenger experience, and we wish them all the success.

“Our vast scope of approval and highly experienced team in cabin interiors, structures, and avionics allows us to provide our customers with any cabin configuration for their fleet.”

Tero Taskila, CEO & Chairman at beOnd, said:

“We are happy to have received the STC for our A321 aircraft, marking the addition of the second aircraft to our growing fleet. The expertise and professionalism of the AES team have been invaluable in transforming the beOnd vision from concept to reality, supporting our journey of expansion. A special thank you to Andrew and the entire AES team for their outstanding partnership. As we continue to grow, we look forward to working with them again in the future.”

We are excited to announce that Aerospace Engineering Solutions has been granted EASA-approved STC No. 10084621. This modification introduces a new cabin layout featuring 24 business class seats and 250 economy class seats, resulting in a 274-passenger seating configuration on the Airbus A330 aircraft. With the increasing demand for transoceanic flights, AES is delighted to support the aviation community with long-haul wide-body projects.

Furthermore, the STC integrates Panasonic’s lightest and lowest power IFEC system, eXLite, into the existing eX2 system on the aircraft. This integration provides operators with an updated IFEC system.

Another milestone achieved by our DOA team. Our team overcame the following challenges to get the modification approved on time for our customer, with materials and parts procurement:

• Seat re-pitch and installation
• IFE and seat-to-seat cabling and raceway installation to accommodate the new layout
• Oxygen pipeline and PSU rearrangement
• Emergency equipment and placards rearrangement through concurrent minor modifications to speed up the approval process and minimise costs

A special mention to the AES team, both UK and Spanish offices, and our partners Aviation Scouts, Panasonic Avionics Corporation, Aviation Graphix, 21Aero and Jetglow Aircraft Refurbishments, without whom this project would not have succeeded as it has. Thank you very much.