Crystal Cabin Award goes to Qantas, Diehl Aviation

A Qantas and Diehl Aviation joint innovation, the Wellbeing Zone, won the prestigious Crystal Cabin Award in the "Passenger Comfort" category at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX). This award recognizes outstanding innovations and technological advancements in the aviation industry that enhance the passenger experience.

The Wellbeing Zone on Qantas’ Project Sunrise flight redefines comfort and sets new standards for all passengers on ultra-long-haul flights. Scientifically designed to address hydration, nourishment, prolonged sitting, jetlag, and sustainability, this zone transcends class distinctions.

The Wellbeing Zone is positioned between economy and premium economy, making this zone easily accessible for all passengers. The spacious door 3 area enhances passenger wellbeing, offering space to stand and stretch. Special leaners invite passengers to relax. Furthermore, a dedicated self-serve station features a touchless water dispenser and snacks and drinks specially selected for hydration and refreshment. Ultra-thin glass doors, advanced lighting, vacuum insulation, and innovative manufacturing methods significantly reduce the weight and space required.

An Airbus A350 will feature Qantas’ first inflight Wellbeing Zone.

Jörg Schuler, CEO Diehl Aviation: "We are incredibly proud to have won the Crystal Cabin Award together with Qantas for the Wellbeing Zone. With this solution, we are significantly enhancing the flight experience to make ultra-long-haul flights even more enjoyable for all passengers. This success shows the importance of a constructive and cooperative partnership with our customer Qantas."

To bring Qantas' vision of compact and lightweight cabin components to life, Qantas and Diehl Aviation collaborated closely, forming an interdisciplinary team addressing the challenge. New materials and manufacturing techniques were developed and introduced to achieve the lightweight design goals: Using cutting-edge computational fluid dynamics, the team significantly reduced development time, weight, and noise levels. Together with state-of-the-art vacuum panels and industry-first insulated double-glazed doors, insulation thickness was reduced by a factor of 3 to 4, gaining 2" in width and depth. This reclaimed valuable floor space for passengers.

The collaboration also led to the introduction of real glass doors with only 2mm thickness – halving door weight. The use of advanced components, such as the Diehl Aviation’s Air Refrigeration Unit, ensures energy-efficient galley cooling. All these improvements combined resulted in roughly 40kg saved per unit, leading to a reduction of CO₂ emissions.

Diehl Aviation, a corporate division of Diehl Stiftung & Co. KG. Diehl Aviation and including Diehl Aerospace, a joint venture with Thales, is a system supplier of aircraft system and cabin solutions and currently has more than 4,400 employees. Its customers include aircraft manufacturers Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, and Embraer, military partners, manufacturers of eVTOL aircraft, and airlines and operators of commercial and business aircraft worldwide.