Hong Kong-based Haeco Private Jet Solutions (HPJS, Booth P310) is showcasing here at ABACE 2015 its “Xiao Yao” feng shui-inspired executive airliner interior design, which was introduced in December at MEBA 2014 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The company is displaying a new 1/30th scale model of the interior at its ABACE exhibit, as well as a full-scale mock up of the cabin’s “tea area.”
Explaining the genesis of the concept, HPJS commercial v-p Henry Chan said, “We wanted a cabin that’s innovative and that’s never been seen before; a design that is timeless, not bound by fashion; and to incorporate ancient Chinese philosophy and teaching into the cabin design.”
The scale model of the “Xiao Yao” cabin is configured on the interior dimensions of a Boeing BBJ2, but Chan said the design can also be installed in an Airbus ACJ or large-cabin business jet. In addition, aspects of the design principles can be incorporated into almost any business jet interior. Its feng shui principles are expressed in the interior’s curvilinear forms, the relative positioning of living and sleeping areas and the balance of the “five elements”–fire, earth, metal, water and wood.
HPJS, formerly Taeco Cabin Completion Center, rebranded itself last fall as part of a corporate-wide makeover undertaken by parent company Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Co. (Haeco). The group’s 19 subsidiaries are heavily involved in aviation, and the new corporate logo, a tick mark, “captures the spirit of aviation,” the company stated. “It’s evocative of wings, aircraft tails and flight itself.” HPJS’s new name aims to reflect the company’s suite of services, covering the entire lifecycle of an aircraft.
Clouds, Gardens and Pandas
In addition to Xiao Yao, HPJS offers several other signature narrowbody VIP designs with an Asian influence. “Auspicious Clouds” for the ACJ319 incorporates colors, symbols and patterns associated with good fortune, the deep red of its carpet representing happiness and pleasure, while the woven cloud pattern suggests success. A Chinese-style relief sculpture in the cabin bears the inscription, “To embark on a journey is full of hardship and excitement, but will bring wealth billowing into your home.”
The inspiration for “Panda,” another ACJ319 interior, is evident in its black-and-white color scheme, and the generous curve of the seats. Chinese-style patterns and a bamboo motif decorate cabin dividers, tables, cushions and doors. “Lingering Garden,” or Liu Yuan, for the BBJ features rich earth tones and was designed to create a feeling of wholeness and freely flowing style, and can even provide passengers with a musical experience to enhance their journey.
As the motifs suggest, HPJS has its eye on the completions market for Asian customers. “Ultimately, the objective is to serve ultra-high-net-worth individuals in China,” said Chan. HPJS can turn these and other designs into reality at Haeco Xiamen, its completions and MRO facility at the East Gaoqi International Airport in Xiamen.
The facility has six hangars, each capable of accommodating two widebody and one narrowbody aircraft simultaneously. Since the first hangar was constructed in 1996 (designed for work on Boeing 737s and 747s), the facility primarily serviced commercial airliners.
In 2008, with five hangars on the property, the company embarked on developing its VIP completion capabilities and initiated training with Airbus. Today HPJS is the only company in Asia that is both an Airbus- and Boeing-approved completion facility. Its backshops for upholstery, cabinetry and finishing are staffed by skilled craftsmen, utilizing CNC machines and other modern fabrication technologies.
HPJS has access to EASA validation STC approvals through a working arrangement between EASA and HKCAD (Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department), and FAA certification services in the U.S. through its San Antonio, Texas facility.
No customers have yet signed up for the Xiao Yao interior. “To be honest, the industry is facing a lot of challenges at the moment,” Chan noted. “However, that does not mean we stop the innovation. This industry is all about innovation, ideas, and bringing something completely new to the arena.”
Haeco Xiamen’s hangars are nearly at capacity, with aircraft undergoing maintenance and refurbishment, as well as green completions, Chan said, “So potential customers will have to act pretty fast if they want to secure a full-time hangar slot to perform a completion like this.” The Xiao Yao interior would require 18 to 24 months, “just only marginally longer than a traditional green cabin completion,” said Chan.
Lifecycle Approach
But completions are just one phase of the one-stop lifecycle services for VIP aircraft the company is highlighting here at the show. The cycles range from strategic procurement and aircraft evaluation, through industrial design services for aircraft completion or refurbishment, STC procurement and after-sales support, including maintenance and inventory management. Additionally, the in-house-designed interiors showcase the team’s creative abilities.
That lifecycle approach to servicing VIP aircraft was evident in late December when HPJS completed China’s first Airbus ACJ318 six-year check, less than a month after the aircraft’s induction to the Xiamen facility. The company credits its combined experience with both commercial aircraft maintenance and executive airliner cabin completions, as well as its resource planning and project management capabilities, for enabling the inspection to proceed seamlessly.
Being familiar with the completion process, project personnel carefully protected the carpet, divan, seats and other interior furnishings of the VIP airliner from dust and potential damage during the inspection. The check “earned high praise from the customer,” HPJC said.
