At Aircraft Interiors Expo 2024 (AIX) Panasonic & Collins Aerospace teamed up to unveil a business class concept seat MAYA. This post will cover the following:
MAYA’s Inspiration
Airlines have focused on innovating their business class product for the past several years due to various factors a potential future post will analyze. Airlines have shown an increasing willingness to invest in the premium experience. Enter next-generation business class seat concept MAYA which is a joint collaboration between Panasonic & Collins Aerospace. Panasonic Avionics has typically is known for inflight entertainment systems & Collins Aerospace is known for passenger seats and much more contributed their expertise to address common pain points for business class passengers.
What Are MAYA’s Features & Construction?
Since MAYA is still a concept the features and construction are subject to change. Nerd Ka Travel was told a decision on whether to bring it to market is currently pending. Airlines also customize the final product to fit their branding and other requirements so the design & features shown are subject to change.
Features
The teams at Panasonic & Collins innovated business class seats in two areas:
- Inflight entertainment experience
- Seat Features
MAYA Inflight Entertainment Experience
MAYA will feature a curved Astrova 45-inch wide display providing the passenger with an improved viewing angle.
“The seamlessly integrated 45” Astrova Curve OLED display is 3 times
-Panasonic Avionics Corporation CEO Ken Sain
larger than typical screens and the first Ultra-Widescreen CinemaScope (21:9) display
in the sky – the same screen format in cinemas. Based on field of view, MAYA delivers
a 50% more immersive viewing experience than sitting in a theater.”
Shown below is a demo of an inflight map displayed on the screen.
- Curved Astrova 45 inch wide display
- Headphone-less audio system
- Custom controller providing smooth syncing with passenger devices, & other controls to enhance passenger’s experience
Seat Features
Many seats designed for business class typically have differing seat controls in multiple different locations making it confusing for passengers to get the most out of their seat.
MAYA resolves this pain point by placing simple seat controls in a prominent location as seen in the image below:
The business class suite customizes the passenger experience by the following during flight
- Optimizes Cushion pressure
- Adjusts temperature
- Reduces vibrations felt by the passenger
- Basic Gesture Control System
“Unprecedented customization and user control provides uniquely personal in-flight
– Ed Dryden, president of Interiors at Collins Aerospace.
experiences – bridging historical gaps in accessibility, enabling multi-dimensional
comfort and facilitating immersive in-flight entertainment.”
Seat Construction
The suite uses different plant based materials to maximize sustainability, & reduce production waste using Collin Aerospace composite structure technology. The goal is to provide a platform that is modular, upgradeable, and support recycling tracing efforts.
In summary MAYA innovates on different aspects to the business class seat to provide the next generation experience in business class.
“MAYA is the fusion of enhanced physical, digital and smart technologies that
exponentially enhance the cabin experience in ways individual solutions are unable to
accomplish on their own,” said Ed Dryden, president of Interiors at Collins Aerospace.
Analysis
I was fortunate to try out MAYA at AIX my very brief encounter with the seat left me stunned. It is one of the most comfortable business class seats I have ever sat in. The ergonomics, design are very well thought out making it easy for passengers to get the most out of the business class seat. I was fortunate to fly in an older generation of this seat it was equally as impressive (flight review coming).
I am told that Airlines are very interested in the seat. That is a great sign as Collins & Panasonic as may proceed with launching the seat. To read more about the MAYA please visit Collins Aerospace or Panasonic.
If Panasonic & Collins go ahead with the seat, I am curious to see which airline orders this seat. If all things work out I hope I can do a flight review one day on! Please let me know in the comments what do you think about MAYA!
All content & images property of Nerd Ka Travel except where noted. Please contact us if you would like permission to use it.
