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Issue 4 September 2022
This issue catch Ms. Cheryl Pelly and the Pelly Design Studio - a west coast success story in mobility design
Gulfstream G-700 over Catalina Island
As circulation director at JetCabin Freshbook Magazine, I couldn't be prouder to announce the first of several key circulation expansions into other key regions around the world. As of today, our magazine will be distributed from Mumbai to Dubai and all key business locales in between and across Asia.. Over the years AeroChamp's team has forged a strong relationship with OEMs, distributors, and independent repair centers to offer hard-to-find parts and deliver maintenance cost optimization to customers in more than 30 countries. Interacting with their team members, immediately makes you aware of their deep understanding of the industry and in particular, the specific needs of business aviation customers.
As a key aviation services brand in both regions, some may already be familiar with AeroChamp and if you're not, this is a great opportunity to get to know them and their Founder / CEO, Dr. Praveen Srivastava. AeroChamp has enjoyed a burgeoning reputation in these two important markets over the last decade and is rapidly becoming a key service provider in both regions. Our partnership is a good marriage, offering expanded distribution for JCF and an opportunity for AeroChamp to grow their own brand recognition in the Americas and Europe, where the bulk of our current subscribers are based. We invite you to learn more about Dr. Praveen Srivastava and AeroChamp here: https://www.aerochamp.net/
See the expanded full feature article in this issue.
- Dean Malcolm / Circulation Director
We Just Expanded Our Circulation, Now Covering a Wide Interior's Audience Across India, The Middle East & The Asia Pacific
F E A T U R E S
1 Camber Aviation Management - The Buckaroo Days are Gone
7 Comlux Completions - America's Narro-Body Phenomenon
11 TAPIS Corp - The Remarkable Story of a Remarkable Company
18 Dr. Praveen Srivastava - A Middle-East / Asia Market Analysis
Issue 4 September 2022
JetCabin Freshbook 2022 . all rights reserved
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Rick W. Roseman
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D E P A R T M E N T S
Annika Wicklund - Director of Design
Greenpoint Technologies
Words from the Editor
It's that time of year again. Soon we'll all be grabbing our tote bags and hitting the convention floor at this year's
NBAA - BACE in Orlando, FL. What does that mean? Well for me, it means seeing old friends and colleagues that I almost never see at any other time of the year. But it's more than that for us at JCF Magazine. It's a chance to uncover the rare but inevitable gems that show up on the scene each year - many with very little fanfare and others touting it from the rooftops with big budgets, media receptions etc. But big or small, they're the innovators that move us all forward as an industry and definitely the booths you will find us loitering around.
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Our self-proclaimed sole reason for being, is to bring our readers the FRESH, the new, the game changers. When it comes to Jet Cabin Interiors, be them Bizjets, VVIP or SFC commercial cabins , it's our mission to root out the NEW - to examine their relevance and projected place within the industry - over the coming years. That is to say, how it might affect the decisions you make, the directions you take as a designer perhaps or the strategies you adopt as completion centers or cabin supplier companies.
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I grew up in a time when the people that had even a modicum of 'cool' were the one's you wanted to hang with. Why? Well aside from not having a clue what I really wanted at that age, it was the one thing I did understand, right? People (and companies) that are doing cool things, that are stretching the bounds of creativity and innovation to BRING that cool . . . well they're still the ones that I want to rub shoulders with. But unlike high school, the stage is bigger and the stakes are higher. These are people that spend all year (or years) in the trenches doing what they do to find that thing, that right combination of creativity, engineering, intestinal fortitude and belief in themselves.
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It's not the smiling faces and blue blazers we see at the shows of course, but what they're rolling out (the truly amazing stuff that raises our brows and has us lingering to learn more) is merely the tip of a mountain of hard work and tenacity. That's why the sore feet and the rubber chicken sandwiches are worth it each year.
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We recognize your hard work, so don't even hesitate to grab me by the shirt collar if you see me this year ambling down the blue carpet. If the toils of your labors just paid off, we want to help you get the word out!
Richard Roseman - Co-founder / Editor
VISION
We’re Changing the Way you think about Aviation Magazines
No flip viewers...no thumbing pages, no zooming to read text or adjusting scale to see images. Just smooth scrollable content, smartly written feature articles, full-width ads from the top companies in the world. Plus exciting departments that bring the FRESHEST in new rollouts and present the latest trends. Plus you'll always find glimpses of the near-term future of cabin design and products. And best of all, it's all interactive with video, live links and instant access to the people and extended content you're interested in.
The Buckaroo days have come and gone. Today's VVIP & Head of State owners are fading the risk and sleeping at night.
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The term VVIP Completions didn’t even exist beyond roughly 40 years ago. Amazing what an iconic term it’s become in aviation since. That’s because what started out as 'buckarooism' in the late 70s, has matured. But maturity’s a funny thing. It always happens slowly and comes on the heels of a lot of mistakes. Because there was no precedence for the conversion of large, transport category aircraft into flying apartments back in the day - there were very few people on the planet who had a clue how to go about it, and those that did . . . well, they were sorta making it up as they went along.
But I've gotta say, if I felt sorry for anybody back in those days . . . it was the owners. They stood in line at the few upstart centers that were bold enough to take it on, and paid enormous sums of money to get those first few dozen VVIP or Head of State aircraft. There were the noteworthy exceptions to be sure - but in far too many cases, they were over budget, waaaay beyond contracted delivery and often sub-par in terms of their delivered quality. There's a lot of gonzo lore that still oozes from those early projects - but for many owner's, it was not the best experience. They placed their trust and their bankrolls in people and companies who had good intentions for the most part - but if we're honest, didn't quite have it figured out yet. But in the last couple of decades, this very unique, still very expensive industry segment has indeed matured - and on many levels. But from the customer perspective, one of the biggest lessons learned can be summed up in three words:
Independent Completion Management.
Mr. Thomas Chatfield - CAMBER Aviation Management
Interview conducted by: Rick Roseman
Today, I had an opportunity to sit back down with Thomas Chatfield - CEO of Camber Aviation Management, in Vancouver BC. This is our second in a two part interview about the multi-function high-level services performed by his company, on behalf of their customers. In the first article we discussed the initial part of their contract scopes wherein the clients themselves are counseled on aircraft selection, mission objectives, interior requirements and a host of other things clients often miss without expert guidance. In this interview segment, Mr. Chatfield will take us through the second major phase, of their involvement - completion management; wherein every aspect of the aircraft's interior completion, from A to Z, is carefully managed on behalf of the customer. We chose to conduct this portion Q&A style so that our readers can get an easier sense of each particular segment and phase of the completion - all the way through final delivery.
JCF: Thank you for sitting down with us Mr. Chatfield. I wanted to start by asking if your services include an integral role in the actual drafting of the specifications for the aircraft. I would assume so, but could you elaborate?
TC: So, I think what's important for us to state is what a specification is and what is the purpose of this document. A specification captures a number of things, first of all what the client’s expectations are what they want to see in that aircraft. Second, is the designer’s vision of what that aircraft is going to look like on the inside - as well defined as possible at that stage of the program. And then very importantly, what is the functionality - how everything is supposed to work within that aircraft. As an example, I need to have a certain type of faucet in a certain bathroom, but you may only be able to describe for example the functionality of the shower because you haven't selected a vendor or the actual fixture itself. The same holds true for the in-flight entertainment system. Again, as an example, you may define the needs of the requirement, but you haven't defined the actual system yet because you want to keep that open now for various reasons.
There are some situations where a client, very early in the program, will say - I want to have for example a KU band built by supplier XY zed quite simply because they've had that system in the past, they have a preference for it. So at the end of the day, who better to write that really, than the completion manager. And I think it's fundamental for the completion manager to have this role because we will be the ones that are really helping to take that vision from the client through to the designer who will actually be creating the wonderful design.
You want to make sure that whoever is writing the specifications is actually and thoroughly representing the owners interests throughout. From an owner's POV, once that's been done then obviously it becomes part of the RFP process as well - and while there may be adjustments made when you're speaking to the different completion centers, it’s the governing framework. They may very well say listen, I think you forgot this section or could you define this section a little bit more - so really a specification in this context, is a living document. It's approved first by the client and then the designer and then from there it may have some adjustments through the RFQ process. And what's very important then, is you know you you're putting it out to tender. You want to make sure that any changes or suggestions made by a completion center roll back into that document and everybody has a clear understanding.
JCF: OK and I assume that specification in the scenario you just painted is predominately taken from two places - one the design brief and the other from follow-on customer meetings. Is that correct?
TC: That's absolutely right, and in those customer meetings there's obviously a lot of back and forth with the completion manager to help tease out those things - just like the designer does in refining the client’s expectations - comfort, functionality, aesthetic intents - all those things that are essential in laying the foundation for building a most wonderful cabin. But if it's not reliable, it's not going to help anybody of course, so part of the specification will address things like, access to components - the ability to be able to change something within a very short period of time, perhaps redundancy; very important for a toilet system for example. How to access that water system. If you're doing lots of overwater flights, you don't wanna have a single point failure that's going to cause you to have no potable water in the aircraft.
JCF: Excellent, thank you. Ok my next question is, how do you generally approach your relationship with a new completion center - a center and people that you've never worked with prior? In other words, are there sometimes hard to navigate politics involved? I've run into this a little bit myself where the completion center sort of regards you the proverbial fly in the ointment. Do you ever run into that kind of thing and if so, how do you deal with it?
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TC: I think you can prevent that from happening right from the very beginning by having the client very clearly state to the completion center - this is this is my representative and my representative is the forward face of me dealing with the day-to-day business. If there are things that are important that representative feels he has to have approved or vetted by me, then the completion center or the completion manager will be doing that. And so that idea of empowerment right at the very beginning I think is very important. You are quite right however with some new owners stepping into a an aircraft for the first time – and therefore their first completion, or heavy refurbishment, the things you don't know CAN hurt you. By not having that knowledge, if the owner starts to be connected directly to the completion center, then you end up losing information as you would in any three-way conversation, right? So very important to say OK, this is my representative and it's your job as a completion manager to make absolutely sure that the client is being kept up to date with what's going on – throughout.
If the specification is clear, then we've taken care of 90% of the potential issues. If the client knows what he wants and it's all clearly articulated in that document - then you've shed a lot of stress, right from the get-go.
Camber Aviation Management - 2022
JCF: Absolutely, makes good sense. Ok so, once the specifications have been drafted in accordance with the design, and your relationship with the completion center is more or less of fully established, how do you prepare both yourselves and your client for PDR and CDR? And also in your experience at CDR, is the level one, (the actual customer) present or just his senior representative?
TC: Well the completion manager or the customer Rep definitely is there quite often. The client I would say, at least half the time will want to be there themselves.
JCF: OK thank you. Alright next question also with regard to PDR and CDR. How big of a role does Camber play in conducting those two very important sets of meetings - that is to say I would assume that the completion center who normally host those meetings presides over them, but I would also expect that you would play a major role as well as a key customer representative. Are you in effect acting as the customer in this respect. Maybe we've covered some of that but if you could elaborate please?
TC: You're absolutely right. So I believe it's very important the completion center host. It's their meeting right? Effectively, they're the receiving party so again give the people the opportunity to speak explaining things - and at the end of each presentation, ask those questions that are important and then start the dialogue. Quite often it's a two way street. What we may not have put in the specification – something missed perhaps, may be exactly the same thing that's going on here. I also think what's very important is to give adequate time for the CDR; that is to say, give the time it deserves. Often, you'll see the completion center try to crush a CDR into one day. If you're doing a large aircraft, or a complex one, it's going to take more time. So appropriate enough time to talk. That’s extremely important. I’ve also found that it’s very important to find time to all get together for drinks, coffee, dinner or whatever. That’s where a lot of problem get solved. Quite often because you'll have someone who's maybe a brilliant engineer for example, but perhaps a little bit shy. But in that one-on-one conversation, suddenly they open up and say, listen I this is one question I wanted to ask you - and bang, you just solved the problem.
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JCF: I totally get it and by the way every CDR I've ever attended lasted a full 2 days. Hard to imagine trying to squeeze all that detail in one day! OK next question - one more if you will, still on the PDR / CDR process. Can you take just a moment and walk us through how those meetings actually go down with respect to you and your team's involvement - the customer sign-off itself and so forth?
Some clients want to have a daily briefing. Others prefer to have a weekly briefing and some others will give you a fair amount of flexibility to work with in that regard. But ultimately it's just really important to have that up-front statement from the owner, saying this is my appointed representative.
But more importantly, I think the purpose of the first meeting with the completion center is to really sit down and explain what are the expectations, how we do business and the fact that we want to spend the time now putting together a very clear specification. Because if the specification is clear, then we've taken care of 90% of the potential issues. If the client knows what he wants and it's all clearly articulated in that document - and the completion is able to read it and understand it, then you've gotten rid of a lot of stress, right from the get-go. If for example, when we're doing a BBJ or an ACJ, our specification document is roughly about 150 pages. On a wide body, 250 pages + is quite normal. So these are quite lengthy and quite intensive documents. But what's important is that if you take the time to define things properly right from beginning, then the deliverables for the completion center are that much more clear and we end up spending less time discussing whether the sofa is supposed to be a two seater or three seater - and I've actually seen that. With “If the specification is well-written and captures the level of detail required – including clear definition of quality requirements – then the completion center’s entire team will be able to work to a common goal, resulting in far fewer defects to rectify. Ultimately, a professional completion doesn’t want to sit on a pedestal saying I accept or don’t accept, but rather work closely with the completion team to ensure minimal reworks. “
There should be an integral part of the process wherein the completion manager, who has done many aircraft with different completion centers – has the ability to sometimes look at something and say, listen you've got a problem here. I've dealt with that problem previously. Why don't we try to fix it in this way, right? So if we look at it from a win-win position and keep the politics out of it, then we can spend our energy building a better aircraft rather than fighting with each other.
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"The top DESIGN studios around the world are absolutely the ones that inform the industry and set the new trends."
Jetzign is where we highlight the very latest from the top designers and studios. Whether it be the iconic independents or the great design departments within the world's top completion centers, this is where you will find their latest works - and always with an emphasis on the near-term future of cabin design.
America's Narrow-Body Phenomenon
Comlux Completions US, Indianapols, IN. - 2022
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Article Interview conducted by: Rick Roseman
with Mr. Daron Dryer, CEO Comlux Completion (US) - August 11th, 2022
We recently had a chance to sit down with COMLUX Completions' CEO, Daron Dryer. Among other things, we discussed the confluence of events and strategies that have led to their success in the US as the narrow-body 'go to' completion facility. Mr. Dryer also filled us in on their ongoing ACJ-220 program, why they've steered clear of wide-bodies, and their impressive array of peripheral customer services, including Comlux Tech and their new Charter Service.
In my conversation with Daron Dryer, I learned a thing or two; not the least of which is how a center no one had ever heard of 15 years ago, has climbed the chart to #1 in narrow-body VVIP completions on US soil.
JCF: I know the Comlux Group is based in Switzerland but it is my understanding that most, if not all, actual completions occur there, where you are, in Indiana. Is that true? Can you please explain how this parent company hierarchy came about and functions today?
DD: Yes that is that is absolutely true. We are the completion center and innovation hub for Comlux, which was created in Switzerland in 2003. The origin of Comlux was in charter management and aircraft transaction, but it made sense that they would move from that realm into the completion realm as it completes the entire lifecycle of an aircraft project. We as a Group have the capability to identify the right product for the individual based on their mission needs, see it through the OEM and manage it, act as a customer rep, accept the aircraft, maintain the aircraft from a camo and an airworthiness standpoint, pilot the aircraft, and then the team brings the aircraft to us here in Indianapolis where we then complete the aircraft’s interior.
Beyond that, our service range allows for us to then possibly put the aircraft back under management and charter services allowing the owner an opportunity to leverage their asset when they're not using it, and if they need upgrades, they can come right back to us for that, which makes sense because we know the aircraft, right? Then, if and when they ever decide to sell the aircraft, we can identify their next aircraft and find the buyer for the existing one. In that way we start two circles of life – a comprehensive A to Z solution for our customer.
That's been our model, and it’s proven valuable for us and the customer.
JCF: Well it’s a very impressive model and yes it makes all the sense in the world from a customer perspective. The comprehensive menu of services is always there affording a sort of plug and play set of options that supports any and all stage throughout the AC’s life cycle. Hard to argue with a strategy like that. And maybe you’ve already explained that parent company hierarchy and everything, but can you touch on that again please?
DD: Yes, so at the Swiss corporate headquarters in Zurich- we like to say, we’ve got the very best of two worlds: Swiss precision and American ingenuity. Over here of course, we’re sort of workaholics (he laughs), possessing that certain kind of grit that this industry requires for complex schedule driven by completions etc. The dual integrated culture works very well for us.
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JCF: Well I’ve been excited about this since we first talked – and of course I follow you guys via Linkedin etc but you guys are killing it! And I’m already starting to understand why. Alright so my next question is one I’m especially eager to learn about. It seems as though Comlux, either by design or by purpose, has come to sort of unofficially hold the title as the narrow body darlings of the US completion landscape. Would you say that’s an accurate statement and can you tell us under what scenario that’s come about?
DD: I believe we’re very fortunate coming out of COVID and other elements to be where we are today. Clearly, we're here. And many companies I've worked with in the past aren't, so I'm happy to be here and I'm happy to say that we seem to be well regarded in the industry. I would say it's accurate, yes – and I do believe it's by design. Number one, as we mentioned, we're not one-dimensional. We are an aircraft company, so we have the strengths to support ourselves with the ability to manage the entire aircraft cycle.
We also maintain a good vision with our shareholders who clearly understand that there are significant investments that should take place - to try and break the old mold of one-off completion centers. We've got robust technologies, thanks to a lot of investment on their part. They had to hope that investments produced the opportunities we sought and we had to see the performance before it ever became a reality.
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They're big into pre-production testing - supporting us through the development of test programs – allowing us to test systems before they ever get to the aircraft. They're also very big in industrialization to enhance our process.
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It's also worth noting that we did the very first Max-8. We received the first STC on the Max-8 and we're the only company in North America that has Max-8 experience.
- Daron Dryer - CEO
DD: Well, interestingly enough, we've actually got some wide-body experience. We completed an A- 330 in 2019.
JCF: A green airplane?
DD: It was a complete nose to tail full modification and it was a very challenging completion. It was one of the most complicated aircraft we’ve ever done. It had a fully functional gymnasium in it, with the same weight system the owner used in his home - a lots of creative thinking to be able to certify that. That's what we do. We also gained experience on our Boeing 767, Sky Lady, our charter flagship - another complex project.
So no, we're not necessarily trying to stay away from wide bodies because we think it's a stretch. It's really comes back to maintaining, when we can, that level of standardization. Operating a platform as well as you can without stopping and getting distracted until you reach your goal. This allows us to stabilize our workforce more. We've got a four-bay hangar, so pulling a wide body into it takes up 50% of that hangar. You also go from an 18 month program to a 2 ½ year program where you have this huge influx and need for engineering that then drops off after a year. That kind of profile leaves a hole, obviously. And then, you have a huge influx of production needs as well - and unless you've got another widebody right behind, it doesn’t work. We never want to get in that cycle of hiring and firing. It’s the opposite of what we’re about and causes destabilization. We need that right mix of vertical. You don’t want to always be changing organization structure based on what's coming to the door.
The narrow body line with our with our large hanger, we've got six bays – which allows us to stage an aircraft - such that if you think of a completion starting with the design concept, then the engineering phase and the fabrication and production phases – that’s four phases and you have four slots, then two more for maintenance.
If you look at a completion you know there's always air conditioning mods, there's always water mods, there's always cabinets, there's always this and that. And yes, they're always completely different in terms of being custom and unique to a unique aircraft - but then again, there is no reason there shouldn’t be a uniformity of processes and procedures. And by making this a practice, we optimize and streamline efficiencies, so that the craftsmen can spend more time on the things that require interface. If you optimize the things that aren’t touchable as much as you can, then you're able to spend more time on that which is unique and it's much more efficient.
I think the fact that we have combined the uniqueness, the custom aspects with a higher level of management thinking, has paid off for us – and the customer. We're a big little company and our corporate headquarters is run by people who were very successful at Airbus and Boeing and other companies; people who have said yes to completions with firm expectations – one of them being that we are a well-managed machine. And I think all that adds up to investing in smart people and the tools they require. Also investing in the management, the processes and the procedures to do it in efficient fashion.
JCF: Thank you, good answer. You know, listening to your answers relevant the parent company, I can certainly hear some of the European business model in there - and having been around in the industry for a long time, I recall some of the early completion centers in the US and how many were bootstrapping it, every single day – constantly reinventing the wheel and putting out fires to meet the immediate challenges of the day. All to say, I like your answer and what it represents; a new higher level model that supports long-term growth and stability. Perhaps more than anything these tactical methodologies explain your success. OK so my next question is and this is one I’ve always really been curious about – and I suppose it's sort of an outgrowth of the previous one - but can you tell us why you have chosen, thus far anyway, to stay away from wide-bodies?
JCF Magazine is proud to announce our new Media Partnership with the National Business Aircraft Association. What does that mean as a reader / subscriber? It means you can find show itineraries and interior related announcements right here, each publish cycle and via our weekly posts.
Check out the 2022 NBAA/BACE program schedule and highlights, below.
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The Remarkable Story of a Remarkable Company
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Back in the day, as a young(er) designer, I remember going to some of the ‘legendary’ NBAA parties thrown by Tapis. They were the one party you cleared the slate for! They were the one place you knew you were going to see all your colleagues etc – and the one you were prepared to miss a little sleep for. But even then, I remember being struck with how engaged they were with their customers - what a big deal it seemed to be with Tapis as a company. I mean there were certainly other cabin supplier companies, and plenty larger, that didn’t throw those kinds of parties, just to bring their customers together.
Out of the gate, I wanted to know why that was and looking back, how much of a role in their success it has played.
It didn’t take long for Lauren Kenealy, the company’s Marketing Manager, to come back.
“Absolutely, from the beginning, being engaged with our customers has been a huge part of our company culture,” she proudly answered. Our culture can be summed up in a couple of ways “superior customer engagement and a commitment to innovation. Every employee that we have at Tapis strives to provide the best service, assistance, and guidance to the customer. Our customers not only come to us for materials, but they come to us for our industry knowledge and our technical expertise. We’ve always been able and willing to provide more than just material; we can advise what material would be the best fit for a particular project, create a custom color to more closely work with their palette, complete all required testing, and more.”
Having pestered them myself on more than one occasion about woven textiles for a particular project, I knew she wasn’t just spouting off some marketing fluff. I drove them crazy and they’d never displayed anything but patience and an eagerness to help.
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“The thing is, you don’t place an order in most cases, until you’ve resolved a lot of issues. And we get that and want to help our customers get there. And when we do, we usually get the order and have the satisfaction of having been right there with them for the full specification to procurement cycle. We work closely with our customers to try and provide them with solutions; whether that be for testing, long lead times, or quality issues. Our industry is pretty tight-knit, so it’s hard to not treat customers as if they are our friends. Between our NBAA parties, AIX Hamburg booth, and just general interactions throughout the year, we have I suppose earned this reputation over our 45 year history – and we’re pretty proud of it.”
Also, remembering back a few years, it always seemed to me that your product range was mostly confined to textiles, leathers & ultraleathers. But it certainly seems as though you’ve expanded your product categories quite a bit over the last decade or so. Can you expound on that for our readers please?
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“Yea, sure. We have definitely expanded our range of softgoods over those twenty years. We offer an array of textiles from Ultrafabrics®, Ultrasuede, our own TapiSuede™ Collection, Grospoints, and Carpets. Tapis was founded in 1977 selling only Carpets (hence the name Tapis!) that met aviation requirements. However, Karen Caputo and her father Al, saw there was an opportunity for more expansion within the market – a way of covering more bases; offering more solutions for the designers and centers that we dealt with. That lead to 20+ products and the more than 400 SKUs we have today! Below is a break down of each product category: Ultrafabrics®: Ultrafabrics is a premium portfolio of polyurethane high-performance fabrics. Breathable Materials: Bolero and Contour Stretch are our breathable materials. Modern Textures: Our modern texture offerings include Linen, Raffia, Vienna, and Volar Bio. Ultratech™ Collection: The Ultratech collection includes Dwell, Ultratech (product), and Wired. Promessa® AV: Promessa AV was specifically designed for commercial seating and is the most durable and comfortable seat cover product in the aviation market today. Ultraleather® 9-series: The Ultraleather® 9-Series is one of Tapis’ most technologically advanced breakthroughs, designed from the ground up to comply with the complex requirements of materials used in vertical surfaces in commercial aviation.
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Ultrasuede®: A supple, non-woven, luxury fabric made of fine microfibers intermingled to ensure that it is pliable, stain-resistant, machine washable, and spot cleanable. Ultrasuede® Mélange: One of our newest product offerings, Mélange, also known as heathered fabric.
Our customers not only come to us for materials, but they come to us for our industry knowledge and technical expertise. We’ve always been able and willing to go beyond simply filling an order. We can advise what material would best fit a particular project.
- Jason Estes - Global Sales & Marketing
Ultrasuede® Twill: Another one of our newest product offerings, Twill is a geometric pattern most often seen in cotton or wool fabrications. Ultrasuede® BHC: Ultrasuede BHC, for Vertical Surface applications maintains the same characteristics as our standard Ultrasuede, but is extremely lightweight and meets the most stringent flame-retardant requirements. TapiSuede™ collection: TapiSuede was designed by Tapis to specifically meet the needs of commercial air travel. TapiSuede is the finest high-performance textile responsibly engineered using ultra-fine recycled polyester fibers. TapiSuede Flannel: TapiSuede Flannels are a high-performance take on our classic TapiSuede made with a unique blend of recycled fibers to produce the sophisticated look of heathered fabric and wool flannels. TapiSuede Stretch: developed for the aircraft interiors market need for more pliable fabric on windows and headliners and contoured surfaces. TapiSuede™ BHC-SS: TapiSuede BHC-SS is for Vertical Surface applications, but maintains the same characteristics as our standard TapiSuede Collection. Grospoint Collection: Our Grospoint Collection includes three different 100% wool faced materials: Grospoint: The 100% wool face construction of Grospoint ensures durability while offering a high-quality textile for aircraft interiors. Geneve: Geneve is woven, dyed, and finished with traditional textile craftsmanship. Brussels: Our latest 100% Wool Face pattern offers a unique look with the same great durability and toughness as its predecessor, Geneve. This fabric also has a superior ability to withstand surface wear.”
“Wow, that’s quite a mouthful! But what a lineup of options.”
“Yes, and obviously, the article prohibits being able to dive into the specifics of each, but suffice to say, we have a very robust array of products and we’re constantly looking to identify new areas with specific use requirements that haven’t yet been filled. As those come to our attention, we immediately start working to fill the gap and develop a product that offer a solution.”
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I am assuming your three major sectors within aviation are; Commercial, Business Jets and VVIP. Can you give us a sense about what percentage you service within each sector and how those areas differ in terms of the products offered?
I would say our three sectors would be Commercial, Private, and Space. Within those we have different approaches which I will try to outline here: First is Commercial: We are a part of both commercial seating and commercial vertical surfaces. As mentioned above we have Promessa® AV from Ultrafabrics® as our seating material. As for commercial vertical surfaces, we offer three different options mentioned above (Ultraleather® 9-series, Ultrasuede® BHC, and TapiSuede™ BHC-SS). These products are offered for commercial aviation because of the testing requirements. Private aviation is much less stringent when it comes to testing, which is why there are more product offerings in that sector. So, then comes Private: Every product we offer is available for private aviation. Our products can be seen on a range of corporate jets, including VVIP planes.
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Dr. Praveen Srivastava sends an Invitation to Western Supplier Companies & A Stellar Outlook for
Asia / Middle East Markets.
Mumbai . Dubai
Dr. Srivastava provides a detailed assessment of the burgeoning Middle East and Asian markets and how the new surge in demand is extending opportunity to supplier companies in Europe and the US. Read about the critical dynamics fueling these needs and the increasing high demand for products and services in both regions.
Dr Praveen Srivastava / Interview conducted by: Rick Roseman
Q: Asia-Pacific is a high-growth and increasingly important market for both Business and Commercial aircraft. In fact, it was reported that China became the world’s largest domestic air traffic market in 2020. Would you agree with this statement, and if so, can you help put a finer point on it? In broad terms, can you tell us why this is – and what your predictions are in terms its scope - and what its duration might be.
A: This is absolutely correct and statistics published by regulatory authorities show that Asia is a high-growth market for both Business and Commercial aircraft. In the last decade, the Middle East was highlighted as the fastest growing market and hence most of the OEMs focused on that region. However now the OEMs will undoubtably be shifting their focus to Asia. The reason is obvious – because the growth of air travel in Asia started much later, but it’s catching up fast now, while it has already plateaued in the west.
Air travel which once used to be the mode of travel for the elite in this region has become the most preferred mode for business travelers and those who can just afford it. Not only commercial air travel has seen high growth, but the business jet travel has also seen a surge in this region. Those who can’t buy a private jet, are utilizing charter to service their needs. More and more successful entrepreneurs, celebrities and senior corporate executives in Asia are opting to fly private.
Based on the projections by various research agencies, as well as my personal industry exposure in this region, I can see the graph moving upward for next 20 years. This is the most exciting time for the aviation industry in Asia and the Middle East. It’s the happening place, an emerging market that cannot be ignored. Eventually, it will reach a point where no OEM or major supplier can afford not to have a presence in the region.
Q: It seems a bit harder to quantify the Mid-East market. I mean it has long been a big market for VVIP aircraft, with so many heads of state flight departments and concentrated wealth in the region. But can you sort of expand on that for us and give us your predictions for growth in the interiors sector?
A: True, it is difficult to quantify the market due to the confidentiality of VVIP aircraft, but the financial figures show that the Mid-East has been a big market for private aircraft for certainly the past decade at least. As the Billionaire’s club bloats in the Middle East and Asia with the emergence of successful millennial entrepreneurs, the private aircraft market will only continue to grow. Heads of state, successful entrepreneurs and top executives are travelling more often than before – both within the region and to Europe; also the US for business and vacation spots. Their comfort and luxury needs must be met with plush and comfortable cabin interiors. Going by the growth in the number of private aircraft in this region in past 10 years and the projections for next 10, the aircraft interiors industry has a very bright future in this region. It wouldn’t be an overestimate to project the aircraft interiors industry tripling in size by 2035.
I have been privileged to have the opportunity to setup 4 aircraft interiors facilities and advise many interior shops in the Middle East and Asia in last 15 years- and all of them are thriving. From just 15-20 interior facilities in 2010, the number has grown more than 50 interior facilities in 2022, all in the Middle East and Asia. The numbers speak for themselves. With the addition of so many private aircraft and comfort enhancement in first and business class Airlines flying international, the need for interior refurbishment has a multifold growth profile. And it will continue to grow for next 20 years with the need for localization of refurbishment centers and interior goods suppliers. There is an abundance of trained manpower and skilled craftsmen in this region to deliver the quality – and with it, a lower infrastructure and labor costs.
The major challenge aircraft refurbishment centres in the Middle East and Asia face, is that of supply chain. There is enough work for all the centres, but execution is the challenge because 90% of all the material required for refurbishment still comes from the US and Europe.
-- Dr. Praveen Srivastava
A: Currently there are no completion centres in the Middle East and Asia region, except one in Hong Kong, which has carried out 2-3 projects. There are over 50 refurbishment centres in this region, which do not have many options of interior suppliers. These aircraft interior refurbishment centres struggle to get their supplies on time and have to burn midnight oil coordinating with the US suppliers because of the time difference. Based on my experience as an aircraft interiors specialist in these regions, I have seen these refurbishment centres struggling for the right samples, availability of selected material, lead time and shipment challenges, which makes it very difficult for them in meeting the project timelines. Due to the customization of private aircraft interiors and the tendency of the customer to look for a change of colour and pattern at the time of refurbishment, it becomes very difficult for the refurbishment centres to coordinate with the US suppliers who are in a 12 hour time difference. It becomes difficult to offer a good variety of options to the customer and even when the soft goods are selected; to check the inventory and get the goods in time, remains a big challenge.
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Some of the main factors refurbishment centres from this region look for are as follows:
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Regional presence of US suppliers to communicate in close time zone.
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Availability of latest samples with the regional distributor and inventory status.
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Shorter lead time – usually the lead time for most US suppliers who do not hold inventory is quite long and it varies for each item.
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Prompt shipment coordination – due to the time difference, moreover during the weekends it becomes very difficult to coordinate with the US suppliers.
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Friendly after sales service – there is a cultural difference between the east and the west, the customers in this region expect their requests to be accommodated.
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Smooth settlement of warranty claims – time is of essence during interior refurbishment of aircraft. If there is any delay for whatever reason, the refurbishment centre has to face the heat of the customer.
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Compliance – many suppliers from the US do not support special requests like country of origin certificate, veterinary certificate for leather and sheep skin and composition certificate for carpet and fabric, which is required for customs clearing in the country of import.
Q: Since the first article we did back near the trailing end of the pandemic (or so we thought), you hinted at very vigorous growth in private aircraft and the refurbishment of existing ones that had sat around on tarmacs during COVID. How do you assess the business aircraft interiors market now in your region?
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A: My forecast based on analysis of the Middle East and Asia markets of the post Covid growth in private aircraft and the refurbishment of existing ones was accurate. This region has seen a surge of almost 30% in the number of private jets inducted in past 12 months. Also the interior refurbishment centres are busier than what they were before COVID. Based on data analysis and my experience in the region, I expect this trend to continue for next 4 - 5 years. Post COVID travel preferences of corporates, entrepreneurs and celebrities have changed, they are opting to charter a private jet more often, hence charter companies are doing well and adding more aircraft to their fleets.
This has encouraged the private aircraft and airline operators to get their aircraft interior refurbishment done locally, rather than flying the aircraft long distance for the work. Some of the well-known interior refurbishment centres in Canada, US and Europe have established satellite facilities in Dubai and Singapore, and more will no doubt follow. The market in this region is getting to a level such that new localized completion centres will have to be setup soon to meet the regional taste and aesthetics.
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Q: What are the factors that business jet completion and refurbishment centres in middle east & Asia region, consider while sourcing their products from US suppliers?
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Watch the full animation here.
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Unique luxury yacht and aircraft cabins are generally filled with unique luxurious things. RosannaLee Group is in the unique business of sourcing and creating such beautiful things
Does your company have something our readers need to know about?
A long time ago in a galaxy far away, before the internet, there were a handful of globally renowned pedigree independents – people who occupied small offices in charming little burgs, checking their own mail and making their own tea. With nothing more than a loyal assistant, a keen procurement person and a good accountant, they took care of some of the highest profile clients in the world.
It’s refreshing to know there are still a few around.
by Richard W. Roseman
Ms Gonzalez, thanks for taking the time to visit with us. We’ve known each other for a while of course – even worked on a couple of projects together. So, I know that at one time you were with a larger amenities firm, but after leaving, decided to stay in the field as an independent. Can you tell us what it is that drives your passion for aircraft cabin amenities – and if you have worked in the yacht and residential space as well?
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She let out a little giggle before responding.
“Well, I don’t know how I got from a strategic bomber wing of B-52’s to outfitting VVIP jets with cabin amenities. But the story goes like this.
As a young girl, I enjoyed watching the B-52 Stratofortress fly out of Biggs AFB in El Paso, TX. There was something about the mix of sheer power and gracefulness that seduced me from the beginning. The tails were visible from almost every corner of the city. My dad would take me to the annual open house on base. He was Army and Fort Bliss was there also supporting the city with various open houses. I have so many fond memories of those days, my very first exposure to aircraft. To this day, I look up at almost any aircraft trying to identify its make or whatever. I also took some aviation courses while at UT, Austin. I was the only female in a class of 40. It was intimidating but I walked away with an even deeper love of aviation. One of my research projects was on the German Stuka dive bomber (a.k.a. the Junkers Ju 87), one of the Luftwaffe’s mainstay combat aircraft in WWll. My career also landed me at Honeywell Defense Systems after graduate school. They built the cockpit display systems for the F-16 fighter jet.
Hopefully, this gives you an idea of my love for aviation. My only regret is that having worked on 1,000 aviation projects over the years, I have yet to fly up there at 51,000 ft. in a Gulfstream. Everyone assumes I get to fly around all the time working in the context of my job. No, not yet!
Yachts are a little different. Having grown up in landlocked El Paso, yachts, as you might imagine, were not around much. However, I very much enjoy working on yacht projects. In terms of the tasks and the environments, there is a very close kinship with VVIP aircraft. One of my favorites was a 125 ft. (38m) Palmer Johnson sailing yacht. The interior was stunning and the selected amenities were spot on for the very clean but nautical design.
In prior conversations, I know you have referred to RLee Group as a smaller independent – no big suite of offices or showrooms. Can you give us a sense about the dynamics of that business model and how it compares to your former environment.
It was a very conscious decision. I truly believe I can offer the best service to my customers as a smaller independent company. I’ve always preferred the business model of offering very personal one-on-one service as opposed to the more expansive model of showrooms, large staff, sales reps and the like. The business of custom amenities is unique and often quite complex – so for me, those interests are better served in a more personal way. Also it allows me to offer a better price point on most amenities.
I did supply showrooms at two different facilities and I paid for the majority of the display items. This is always out of my pocket of course – and can get quite expensive. In some cases, it can bear fruit but in most cases, I have found that owners tend to see the showroom or display and think that they are limited to only what’s there or the brands represented. In my case, as an independent, I have relationships with virtually every supplier and major brand in the world. In that way, I start each project with a clean slate – and no bias toward a particular manufacturer or style. I wait until I understand the design brief of my clients – and then go to work assembling the best pieces from wherever, in fitting the style requirements. It is however, hard for some people to understand. This is where the lines of communication must be open for a complete understanding of what a “special niche” company, like mine, actually does and the benefits we bring.
I would also assume you have partnerships with some of the major ‘pedigree’ suppliers around the world and if so, can you name a few and tell us how they assist you in meeting the requirements of your customer.
Well, as I like to say, my suppliers are the best. I think the best way to work with suppliers is to keep the lines of communication open, and to always maintain a close relationship – even at times when there is no project underway. Many of the European manufacturers I work with have a representative in the USA. Therefore, if the product is Ercuis, Raynaud, Rosenthal, Versace etc…there is someone I can meet with locally and discuss the project.
GULFSTREAM G700 WINS 2022 INTERNATIONAL YACHT & AVIATION AWARD FOR
DESIGN EXCELLENCE
Private Jet Design Win Marks Company’s Sixth Consecutive Interior Award
