Inside of the Phoenix, a new cabin concept offered to Airbus corporate jet customers in Asian market. [Photo / Agencies]
A new cabin concept called the Phoenix, featuring a color scheme and layout designed to appeal to Asian tastes, is being offered to Airbus corporate jet customers in the region.
The main cabin features seating for six people around a large round table - the focus of family life in many Asian cultures - which facilitates work-related discussions and dining.
Airbus corporate jets are able to offer this feature because they have the widest and tallest cabin of any business jet, which allows a good-sized table, as well as space around the sides.
Playing games of skill and chance is also a passion in many Asian cultures witness the popularity of mahjong in China - so Airbus has designed the round table to fold into a square shape when needed, which is better suited for such activity.
The Phoenix cabin concept can also offer an area for karaoke, another activity typical of business entertainment and relaxation in much of Asia.
As with all of its corporate jets, Airbus offers its customers a choice of colors and fabrics and, for the Chinese market, it is proposing a decor featuring burgundy red.
These elements, together with other aspects of detailed design, give the Phoenix cabin concept an ambience that is already attracting interest in the Asian private jet market, which is one of the fastest-growing in the world today.
Airbus has a strong and growing presence in the Asia-Pacific corporate jet market, where it has won more than 25 sales so far, most of them in China.
Most corporate jet customers and operators prefer to remain anonymous, but some of the buyers include Deer Jet of Beijing, BAA Jet Management of Hong Kong, China Sonangol, the Royal Thai Airforce, Skytraders of Australia and the UB Group of India.
Airbus encourages its customers to outfit their aircraft at one of eight specialist cabin-outfitters around the world, each audited for its capabilities. This network has recently been expanded to include TAECO of Xiamen.
Airbus has the largest and most modern corporate jet family in the world, with aircraft offering more space, comfort and freedom of movement than traditional business jets.
Its family comprises the A318 Elite, Airbus ACJ, A320 Prestige and, for customers who want even more comfort, capacity and capability of range, VIP widebodies such as the A330 and A340 Prestige, A350 Prestige and A380 Prestige.
Airbus corporate jets have won more than 170 sales to date, and are flying on every continent, including Antarctica.