Priestman Goode creates Swiss airline first-class suite

Priestman Goode has designed the new first class suite for airline Swiss.

The suite will enter service in April as part of the airline’s new first class cabin.

This is in conjunction with a fleet renewal programme that will see Swiss’ Airbus A330-200s replaced with A330-300s.

Paul Estoppey, head of cabin interior development and infotainment for Swiss, says, ‘Swiss positions itself as a top-quality airline, and that means ensuring cabin interiors remain state of the art. We also need to consider the lifespan of [our first class seat], the present model is now ten years old.

‘And on top of these reasons, any fleet renewal offers a natural opportunity to introduce a new seat model.’

Priestman Goode founding director Nigel Goode says the consultancy has been working on the designs for around 18 months, after being appointed directly by Swiss because of its reputation in the airline sector.

Priestman Goode has previously worked on the interiors of Lufthansa’s intercontinental fleet and the Airbus A350 cabin design.

Goode says the consultancy worked with Swiss on the design concept, and then worked closely with the super first class division of US manufacturer BE Aerospace to develop the suites.

He says, ‘BE has a seat mechanism that has been certified and passenger tested, and everything else in the suite is bespoke. We worked closely with BE, at this level you have to be very precise.

‘Priestman Goode developed all the gizmos, like the touch-sensitive controller [which operates the seat, privacy screens and lighting] and the graphical user interface.’

Goode adds, ‘The design aims to get across the concepts of elegance and purity. It keeps to a similar consistency and palette as the lounges and other aspects of the Swiss design. We focused on delivering a holistic brand experience on-board by mapping out the passenger journey from check-in to aircraft.

‘We work with quite a few airlines, and every time we do a new design we try to capture the qualities of the nation, picking up on details and making it a consistent passenger experience.’

Swiss – Switzerland’s principal national carrier, formed after the collapse of former flagship Swissair in 2001 – was branded in 2002 by Winkreative.

Main features of new Swiss first class:

• Adjustable side walls provide privacy

• A bespoke controller, designed by Priestman Goode, can be used to adjust the seat, privacy screens and lighting

• A graphical user interface was also created by Priestman Goode

• The bespoke seat design is based around a mechanism developed by BE Aerospace