Kestrel Aviation, a US aviation asset management company, in collaboration with Pierrejean Vision, a French interior design house and Camber Aviation Management, a Canadian provider of coporate jet cabin completion services, have been named the 2021 Private Jet Design Concept winners at the International Yacht and Aviation Awards.

There were many design objectives for the A220 Corporate Cabin Concept; it needed to be innovative and to differentiate itself from its competitors, with state-of-the-art systems and materials and better cabin aesthetic customisation options. The team wanted to reduce the elapsed time of cabin modification but also the weight of the cabin by 30% compared to legacy designs.

Kestrel says the design focuses on a unique seven-zone modular cabin comprised of three fixed and four variable zones; with the forward, mid and aft zones - entrance/galley, lavatory/wardrobe and private suite with ensuite washroom respectively fixed and the zones in between being variable. The customer gains the ability to customise the cabin to suit their unique requirements to reflect the true purpose of the aircraft whether for private, government or business use.

The modular cabin concept was developed to simplify cabin design, reduce completion build times and lower production and NRE costs over a number of aircraft which, together, are crucial in reducing manufacturing, integration and certification costs. These aspects are all essential in achieving the right price point in the market while providing a bespoke and highly capable aircraft. The objective of the parties is also to reduce product support costs post entry into service to achieve greater reliability through common parts and well thought out production-ready modular design.

Stephen Vella, CEO of Kestrel Aviation Management says: “This innovative design addresses our VVIP customer’s request for a cabin with greater modularity and customisation potential, pre and post delivery, lower weight, shorter leadtime and competitive pricing. Not only have we met and exceeded these criteria but the results are applicable to both Airbus and Boeing platforms.”

The Airbus A220, formerly known as the Bombardier C Series, was chosen as a conversion platform due to many factors; modern, state of the art technology comparable to competitors; equivalent cabin volume to the Airbus A319neo or Boeing BBJ MAX 7; exceptional take-off performance from hot, high and short runways and ithe adaptability of a passenger cabin to a corporate aircraft layout.

The project manager, technical manager and designer behind the first VVIP Boeing BBJ787 cabin, showcased at EBACE 2016, partnered again to develop this innovative A220 Corporate Cabin Concept. Subsequently, F/List (as cabin fabricator), and Flying Colours, as integrator and certification entity, joined the group. This partnership has invested over 18 months of detailed design work on this project.

The trio picked up the award in a ceremony hosted by interior design magazine Design et al, at the Belmond Hotel Cipriani in Venice, Italy.