Dubai-based carrier flydubai has appointed international transport design specialist JPA Design to plan the cabin interior for its new fleet of aircraft.

The announcement was made at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg and marks flydubai’s continued commitment to further enhance its product offering and overall onboard customer experience.

Flydubai, which operates a fleet of 58 Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft, placed an order for up to 100 Boeing 737 MAX 8s at the 2013 Dubai International Airshow. The carrier has partnered with JPA to entirely reimagine a new look for both Business and Economy Class which will feature on the new 737 MAXs scheduled for delivery from the second half of 2017.

Commenting on the new partnership with JPA, flydubai’s chief executive officer, Ghaith Al Ghaith, said: “We have been committed to investing in product enhancements and technologies that exceed the expectations of the industry and our customers since day one. Flydubai was the launch customer for the Boeing Sky Interior in 2009, we introduced a top of the line Inflight Entertainment system to our fleet in 2010 and in 2013 we launched our two-cabin configuration with the introduction of Business Class.”

“We are teaming up with JPA, as one of the world’s leading design specialists, to deliver a new cabin interior reflective of the airline’s maturity, offering our more than 10 million annual passengers a more comfortable onboard experience across our growing network”, added Al Ghaith.
JPA Design, who has offices in London, Singapore and most recently Dubai, are designing all elements of the two-class cabin interior for the fuel-efficient single aisle aircraft. In Business Class, a more bespoke seat that promises to be unique to flydubai will be developed, giving added comfort and value to passengers.  

John Tighe, JPA's design director leading the flydubai design project, said; "To seek inspiration that will help inform the final cabin design, JPA has already spent a good deal of time immersing into the culture, colour and sights of Dubai. We've compared flight experiences on airlines in the region and have been getting to know the flydubai family of crew, engineers and management team.  They are a warm, friendly, smart and ambitious airline, have a clear vision of where they wish to go and value their customers highly. And we both share in the commitment to constantly innovative and strive for best in class solutions."

"The Middle East region and the dynamism of Dubai in particular has interested us for some time and has led us to forming a local presence. There exists in Dubai a truly positive attitude and a desire to achieve great things in the 21st Century. This approach reflects our own values and we were keen to establish and build on relationships in this fascinating region. Partnering with flydubai is a pleasure and an honour," said James Park, founder and chairman of JPA Design.

JPA Design's full scope of work takes in all cabin elements, including seat design and customisation for Economy and Business class, lavatories, full CMF (colour materials and finishes), soft furnishings - including curtains and carpets, service wear - bulkheads, lighting and Inflight Entertainment GUI (Interface) menu content.

"As chosen design partners for flydubai, we see this is as a very exciting and positive experience for JPA Design,” Tighe said. - TradeArabia News Service