Cabin interiors are the signature of the airlines, especially for the National Airlines. It has special colors, textures, materials, and arts for the interior upholstery.
Low-cost airlines focus on low-cost aircraft acquisition by ordering similar types of aircraft, and similar cabin interiors. The design of the interior is less complex, and most low-cost airlines use leather for their seats.
It seems there is a lack of opportunity for the cabin interior designers and interior’ parts manufacturers to design the cabin interiors and make interior parts for the low-cost airlines.
New designs with special features for the airline's cabin interiors will increase the unit cost of the aircraft. The airlines have to pay more, and the aircraft acquisition cost will be transferred to the passengers as ticket prices. High ticket prices will lower the profit margin of the airlines. Therefore, the Type Certificate Holders (TCH), Airbus or Boeing, will use the already approved design to minimize the cost of the aircraft.
However, the Full-Service Air Carriers (FSAC) determined to expand the markets based on customer experience in the cabin will emphasize the unique design of the aircraft cabin interiors as their signature. The unique design necessitates a new cabin design and certification of the cabin interiors, incorporating special fabrics, colors, textures, materials, and design features of the upholstery.
The airlines may engage their own designers and manufacturers, but the certification and production approval will still be with the Type Certificate Holders (TCH). Therefore, the TCH will treat the designers engaged by the airline companies as suppliers, and they have to go through a very strict supplier approval process with the TCH. The thorough investigation of the suppliers will take longer.
The TCH must integrate the design data package with their Type Design Data (TDD) for their State of Design approval for the TC amendment or revision and if the cabin design is so significantly different from the previously approved design, a new cabin evacuation test may be required. The aircraft cabin must comply with the 25.803 - Emergency evacuation, 90 seconds or less evacuation time.
This approach will add cost to the aircraft and was not likely the practice. Mostly the airlines will require the TCH to deliver the aircraft with their cabin design by just requiring the TCH to design for them and it is up to the TCH to deliver the aircraft to follow the specifications in the contract.
If the airlines order the aircraft in large numbers, the airlines may insist the TCH to work on their design and fabricators of their choice. These initiatives may also require political will of the states.
The other options, the aircraft delivered with complete TCH design and fly to an MRO and retrofit the cabin to the airlines design in the form Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approved by the states of registry and operators. The cabin interiors designers and fabricators must hold Part 21 Subpart J - Design Organization Approval (DOA) to apply for the STC.
This option incurs extra cost and the airlines loss of hours for revenue flight because the aircraft will be grounded for a period of time.
Based on the above scenario, there is opportunity for Malaysia aerospace companies to establish as the design and manufacturing suppliers to TCH, apply for Part 21 Subpart J as Design Organization Approval (DOA) to apply for STC and apply for Part 21 Subpart G - Production Organization Approval (POA) to make interior parts and components for the TCH or for the STC.
