Aviation

HondaJet’s New Auto-Throttle: A Game-Changer for Luxury Aviation

Private jets are among the most luxurious vehicles in the world, often with hefty price tags. But today’s business jets come equipped with advanced features, some enhancing in-flight comfort and others boosting avionics.

The popular HondaJet, for example, offers an impressive innovation: the auto-throttle system. This technology allows pilots to relax and focus on other controls, as it maintains the jet’s speed automatically. In emergency situations, like stalls or excessive banking, the system monitors and adjusts the thrust, ensuring safer, more precise flight control.

From takeoff to landing, the auto-throttle system provides comprehensive management, automatically adjusting power based on customizable profiles, even protecting the jet’s speed limits and operating envelope during demanding maneuvers.

This feature is a great asset for both new and experienced pilots, reducing the burden of constant throttle adjustments and offering additional support in landing, as the system manages descent and targets the runway at the correct speed. It also enhances passenger comfort by adjusting to maintain smooth, stable airspeeds throughout the flight.

Aviation

Airbus Enhances A350 Cabin with 10-Abreast Seating

Airbus has announced a new partnership with Jiatai Aircraft Equipment, a Chinese aircraft seating manufacturer, to supply upgraded economy-class seats for the A350 widebody series.

This collaboration, unveiled at the 2024 Airshow China, focuses on developing a newly designed economy seat tailored for the A350‘s New Production Standard (NPS) cabin.

One of the key features of the NPS cabin is the ability to accommodate 17-inch wide economy seats, compared to the previous 16.5-inch wide seats that airlines were limited to in the A350’s earlier configurations.

British Airways Unveils Its Brand-New First Class Cabin for the Airbus A380

This change is made possible by the expanded space in the NPS cabin, which is 35 inches longer and 4 inches wider than the previous version. This extra space is achieved by slightly moving the cockpit wall forward and shifting the rear pressure bulkhead back by one frame.

The wider cabin allows airlines to add up to 30 extra economy seats without compromising comfort. For airlines opting for a 3-4-3 seating layout, the 17-inch wide seats are an excellent choice for a more comfortable passenger experience. However, some airlines, such as Iberia, may choose to retain a 9-abreast layout with wider seats for added comfort.

The NPS cabin also offers enhanced flexibility for airline operators. One major advantage is the ability to easily switch between a 9-abreast and 10-abreast seating configuration without requiring significant downtime for aircraft reconfiguration. Airlines can use the same seat rails, tracks, and IFE interfaces, making the transition smoother and quicker.

Etihad Airways Unveils 10 Exciting New Routes for 2025

In addition, the design of the floor attachments and air-conditioning systems has been optimized for 10-abreast seating, meaning airlines can upgrade their cabins without needing to make substantial modifications to the aircraft’s structure.

Though it’s still unclear when Jiatai’s economy-class seats will be officially added to the A350’s Buyer Furnished Equipment (BFE) catalogue, the collaboration marks a significant step toward enhancing the A350’s cabin offerings.

With this partnership, Airbus is providing more seating options for airlines, ensuring that they can meet diverse customer needs while improving overall operational efficiency.