Luxury airline Emirates has unveiled a brand new cabin design for its fleet of Boeing 777 aircraft – and the upgrades involve Nasa-inspired seating, ‘virtual windows’, and an interior intended to mimic a modern sports car.
The carrier announced the changes at the Dubai Air Show this week, showcasing its new first class and business class cabins. The modern and airy cabins will feature fully enclosed private suites, all of which offer floor-to-ceiling sliding doors, customisable lighting features and seating which enables something called the ‘zero gravity’ position.
These new seats are the headline act of the new cabin’s features. Emirates ambassador, Jeremy Clarkson, has described the ‘zero gravity’ position as ‘better than laying on a fairytale cloud’. Inspired by Nasa technology, the seats recline backwards into a full flatbed, simulating the feeling of weightlessness that astronauts experience when they’re in space. Perfect for long-haul flights where comfort is a necessity, this incredible feature will be a welcome addition for regular Emirates passengers.
The interior of the first-class cabins has been inspired by Mercedes-Benz, the luxury carmaker – and the two have teamed up to offer a unique collaboration for passengers. Anyone travelling first-class on an Emirates flight will be offered the opportunity to travel to the airport in a complimentary Mercedes-Benz S-class, with full chauffeur service every step of the way.
Each cabin provides 40 square feet of private space for every passenger. They have floor-to-ceiling sliding doors which create a sense of space while still preserving every passenger’s right to privacy. They will also have a built-in service hatch window, so flight crew don’t even need to enter the passenger’s private pod to serve up food and drinks.
One of the more controversial additions is the first ever ‘virtual windows’. Instead of regular glass windows, the cabins have been fitted with window-shaped screens. Cameras positioned on the outside of the plane capture real-time footage of the view, projecting them onto the screens. Of course, these screens can also be switched off entirely for passengers trying to get some rest.
Naturally, the in-flight entertainment will be of an exceptional standard, with full HD display and LED backlighting on all screens. Noise-cancelling headphones will be provided in each pod, and ‘mood lighting’ controls allow passengers to create the environment they want, rather than being stuck with overhead fluorescent lighting.
Emirates’ economy class cabins have also been overhauled, with a stylish new colour palette and ergonomically designed seats. While they may not have the luxury features that first-class cabins have, they’re still among the best at the price point, and offer a very comfortable way to fly.
