Three Ways Flights are Becoming More Comfortable

Buckle up, sit back, make yourself comfortable and enjoy your flight. Most passengers still pick flights based on price and schedule, but they’re also looking for comfort, convenience and amenities like reliable in-flight Wi-Fi and better onboard entertainment options. In fact, studies show 86 percent of flyers will pay more for a better passenger experience.

Airlines understand this dynamic only too well and they know positive experiences drive higher levels of customer loyalty and repeat business. Technology advancements are helping the airline industry improve passenger comfort in several ways.

It’s Getting Quieter in the Cabin

Wind is a primary cause of cabin noise, so aircraft designers are improving aerodynamics to reduce drag, noise and fuel consumption – all at the same time. Cabin insulation is better, reducing noise and improving cabin comfort. Manufacturers are using isolators to absorb cabin noise.

Modern propulsion engines are about 30 decibels quieter than earlier-generation engines. At Honeywell we’ve reduced the noise levels of our auxiliary power units, which equip most of the world’s commercial airplanes by improving their design.

Our fly-by-wire technologies are quieter than the old-style hydraulic systems they replaced. Improvements will continue as we work to advance the science behind the more electric and hybrid aircraft, which will set new standards for quiet, efficient operation in the years to come.

Reducing noise is a priority for the aerospace community and Honeywell is supporting initiatives by NASA, the FAA and other organizations to reduce the impact of noise, in the air and on the ground.

Still, there’s not much we can do to help you with a chatty seatmate or the crying baby two rows back.

Your Ride is Much Smoother

Light turbulence can wake your from your nap, stop in-flight service a row ahead of you or cause you to clutch your complimentary beverage just a little tighter. Severe turbulence can cause serious injury to passengers and crew members, damage airplanes and wreak havoc with airline schedules.

The simple solution is to stay away from turbulent air, which was easier said than done until Honeywell reinvented weather radar by introducing the breakthrough IntuVue RDR-4000 3-D weather radar system. The IntuVue radar gives flight crews the ability to detect and avoid previously unforeseen turbulence, wind shears and dangerous storm activity providing a new level of passenger comfort.

Airlines using this innovative new radar experience 50 percent fewer turbulence-related incidents than with aircraft equipped with conventional 2-D radar systems. Honeywell continues to make improvements in weather radar technologies that will reduce the impact of turbulence and make your flight smoother.

Nonetheless, listen to your flight attendant and keep that seatbelt buckled.

The Inside Air is Just Right

Whether you’re sitting on the tarmac on a hot summer day or cruising at 40,000 feet where the outside temp is a chilly -60 F, modern technology is making sure temperatures are not too hot, not too cold in the cabin.

On the ground, Honeywell auxiliary power units provide electricity to run the environment control system, lights and all the onboard systems the pilots need to get ready for taxi and takeoff. We also make the environmental control system, which makes sure the cabin is properly pressurized at all times.

The ECS also makes sure the air you breathe is clean and fresh. It’s a myth, by the way, that cabin air is stale, full of germs and recirculated over and over. It actually changes over more often than indoor air in your home or office and is a 50/50 blend of internal and external air, constantly cleaned by the same kind of HEPA filters used in hospital operating rooms.

The truth is, you’re much more likely to catch a cold from your seatmate than by breathing cabin air.