Teague and NORDAM create the world’s first ‘floating bed’ in the sky

Design and innovation company Teague and aerospace company NORDAM have unveiled the “Elevate” aircraft cabin concept.

Elevate, which will be showcased at the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2022 in Hamburg in June, is the world’s first single-aisle aircraft cabin that uses floating furniture to reimagine the in-flight passenger experience.

According to the two companies, Elevate offers passengers more personal space, privacy and comfort in a home-like interior without compromising existing passenger numbers.

With single-aisle aircraft increasingly being used for long-haul flights, the onboard passenger experience is in direct competition with twin-aisle aircraft that fly the same routes.

Elevate implements sidewall attachment points that enable the creation of a lighter and more efficient suite environment. By utilising mounted fixtures in the sidewall that eliminate restrictive structures around the monitor, side-furniture and ottoman, the concept increases the bed size, living space and stowage capacity for every passenger.

In the front row and business class, the suite environment wraps around the whole living space, creating a more exclusive and private zone that moves away from the typical tubular environment into a more luxurious residential atmosphere, with customised entrance lighting and overhead bins delivering a wow factor for all passengers entering the cabin.

Anthony Harcup, Senior Director of Airline Experience at Teague, said: “At a time when passenger wellbeing and sustainability are industry priorities, Elevate heralds a new generation of beautiful, simplified cabin products that will enable airlines to deliver exceptional experiences for their passengers with the economic efficiency that these smaller aircraft were designed to deliver.”

NORDAM, a global leader in advanced composite engineering and manufacture, intends to supply Nbrace to airlines and aviation companies worldwide, to spur further innovation throughout the cabin.

NORDAM’s CEO Meredith Siegfried Madden said: “This is a next-generation innovation that enables more creative freedom for the aircraft interior design community. By revolutionising how seats and other monuments attach to an aircraft, Nbrace recruits previously wasted space, transforming it into new aesthetic possibilities and dramatically improved passenger comfort, space and privacy.”