Mercedes-Benz’s design-focused Style division has teamed up with Germany’s Lufthansa Technik to develop a luxurious cabin that can be fitted to a long list of new and used private jets.
Designed for short- and medium-haul aircraft, the cabin adopts a brand new architecture that leaves behind the traditional separation of ceiling, wall and floor typically found in private and commercial jets. The designers explain that the bold new setup creates an increased sense of space for the passengers.
The apartment-sized cabin is designed to make flights as painless as possible. It features hardwood flooring, a sofa, a two-person bed, four individual seats, and a U-shaped bench with a large table in the middle. All of the seating surfaces are upholstered in premium leather, and buyers can further spruce up the cabin by adding a fridge, a flat-screen TV, an aquarium and — for the zen-minded among us — a bonsai tree. Numerous storage compartments are scattered throughout the cabin.
The jet’s windows are concealed by large black panels inspired by the screen that replaces the traditional instrument cluster in the S-Class. Mercedes’ innovative Magic Sky technology lets the passengers dim the panels from transparent to black by simply pushing a button. When the panel is black, it runs a plane-specific infotainment system that can be configured to play movies, display the weather forecast and provide information about the trip. When it’s transparent, the occupants can simply enjoy the view below them.
Mercedes-Benz Style and Lufthansa Technik will present the cabin at the EBRACE 2015 show that opened its doors earlier today in Geneva, Switzerland. The two partners will gather feedback from potential customers over the next few months and fine-tune the design accordingly. If all goes as planned, jet owners will be able to order their custom-built cabin next year.
