FAA Approves New Use For Otherwise Empty Space
Aircraft cabin interior supplier B/E Aerospace announced
recently it has received a Federal Aviation Administration
Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the installation of its
Overhead Flight Crew Rest (OFCR) on British Airways' Boeing
777-200ER aircraft. The FAA STC is also validated by the European
Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The OFCR STC was obtained by B/E
Aerospace's integration and reconfiguration business unit (FSI)
based in Marysville, WA.
The OFCR frees up revenue generating seats otherwise reserved
for the flight crew, and provides comfortable, temperature
controlled, flight crew rest facilities, including bunks, VIP
custom seating and a fully integrated Audio Visual On Demand (AVOD)
entertainment system. British Airways currently operates the B/E
Aerospace Overhead Attendant Rest (OHAR) on its B777-200s.
The decision by British Airways to extend the program to include
a new order for the OFCR, valued at $15 million, was based on the
success of the original product along with a clearly demonstrated
return on investment. The return on investment is based on up to
750 pounds of weight reduction and the addition of revenue
generating seats.
"In the highly competitive environment in which airlines operate
today, the Overhead Crew Rest is a very compelling solution
allowing airlines to increase the utilization of its fleet by
increasing the number of revenue generating seats and reducing
weight," stated Trevor Skelly, B/E Aerospace FSI's Vice President /
General Manager. "The cabin crew will enjoy the greater comfort,
space and privacy that the OFCR and OHAR affords. We are
particularly pleased that, based on the success of the Door 3 OHAR
installation, British Airways chose to incorporate the Overhead
Flight Crew Rest at Door 1 of its B777-200 fleet."
The Overhead Flight Crew Rest kit for British Airways was
designed, manufactured and certified by B/E Aerospace and is being
installed by British Airways at its maintenance facility in
Cardiff, Wales. The initial prototype installation was completed at
BAMC with the FAA STC ST01950SE issued by the Seattle Aircraft
Certification Office. Validation by the European Aviation Safety
Agency (EASA) has also been received.
Other airlines that operate B/E Aerospace OHAR and OFCRs include
Continental Airlines, Alitalia, El Al, Austrian Airlines and Kuwait
Airways. B/E Aerospace currently holds over 220 STCs that are
required for the modification of a wide range of commercial
aircraft.