West Star Aviation’s Interior Specialists are some of the most creative and talented designers in the industry today. As such, they are very in tune with industry trends as well as customer preferences, particularly as they relate to the aircraft interior design segment.

One such trend is the floor plan reconfiguration of the Falcon 2000 aircraft which has by far been the most requested modification over the last 5 years.  

But what is really involved in taking the commonly configured 8-passenger layout and modifying it to accommodate 10 passengers? Let’s take a look…

As you can imagine, floor plan reconfigurations are no small task, with several elements needing to be modified or replaced during the course of the work. For example, a typical 8-passenger layout would include a forward 4-place club arrangement and a conference group set up in the aft section of the cabin. This area would also have a credenza or kibitzer that is located on the right-hand side.

This credenza is removed and replaced with new aluminum plates mounted in the floor to pick up the existing seat track line. This allows new seat tracks to be installed that are narrower, all to accommodate the new narrow-style seats in the area.

Then, a new set of narrow-style double conference seats are installed on the left-hand side of the cabin. In most cases, the existing conference table can be used. The table will likely need to be modified in order to allow for egress requirements. Once this equipment is fitted and installed, a new side-ledge and table assembly is built and installed on the right side for the new narrow-style club group.

There are several key cost-driving elements to consider when planning for the 10-passenger configuration change. Providing your West Star Aviation Technical Sales Manager with as much information as you have available at the initial request will expedite their ability to provide you with an accurate proposal. Though it would be great to be able to provide a firm price for the reconfiguration without much detail, each aircraft is like a snowflake—they are rarely identical.

Some of those elements include a need to obtain the part numbers of the existing four-place club grouping to verify whether the seats that are being retained have been dynamically tested with the new narrow seating. They will need to determine whether the aircraft has an existing Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and then confirm that the FDR complies with the additional passenger requirements. Your Technical Sales Manager will need to understand which oxygen bottle is installed for capacity purposes and whether it is positioned in the existing credenza, or outboard, or below the entertainment cabinet/forward closet. New switching is typically needed, so the existing cabin management system will need to be considered for either modification or upgrade.

West Star Aviation has the experience and expertise to make even modifications like this floor plan reconfiguration run smoothly and efficiently, as they have completed 10 such projects to date. “I’ve had the pleasure of reconfiguring several Falcon 2000’s. It starts with our 3D designers and quickly engages our engineering team, allowing us to unleash our creativity. By focusing on the customer’s needs, we tailor the design to meet their operational requirements. We provide the additional seating capacity that is crucial for charter companies. This process ignites creativity, enabling us to innovate and achieve amazing outcomes.” – George Euler, Corporate Aircraft Interior Sales Manager (GJT).

Operators should take into account your scheduled maintenance events and plan accordingly when considering large-scale projects like the floor plan reconfiguration.