Press ReleaseLufthansa is first to retrofit its A320 with Airspace L Bins from EFW
Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW), Centre of Competence for Airbus Aircraft Conversions (P2F), for lightweight components and cabin systems, today announces that Lufthansa is the first Airbus customer for Airspace L Bins, the new upsized overhead bin designed for single-aisle Airbus aircraft.
Starting early 2025, Lufthansa will have 38 Airbus A320 aircraft retrofitted with the new Airspace L Bins, which optimise cabin space utilisation by creating 60% more cabin luggage space versus traditional cabin systems. The retrofit cabin system can be installed within 3-5 days with minimum need for cabin modifications.
In May 2023, EFW was appointed by Airbus as the manufacturer of the Airspace L Bins for the A320 family. The award came after close collaboration between EFW and the Airbus design team to develop a well-fitting, cost-effective, and sustainable overhead bin product.
Impressions
(Picture source: Airbus)
(Picture source: Airbus)
Airbus Head of Commercial Services Europe Charbel Youzkatli says, “We know from talking with airline customers that bigger bins are a clear need to enhance the passenger experience. As with the XL bins, the L bins provide more space with the added advantage of a plug and play retrofit. We are thrilled to see Lufthansa as the first to offer the L Bins to its passengers and to reap the efficiency benefits it brings to aircraft turnarounds.”
"EFW has achieved an important milestone for its cabin systems business, with Lufthansa becoming the first Airbus customer for Airspace L Bins," says Jordi Boto, CEO of EFW. "Becoming supplier of this cabin retrofit solution is showing that we have full capabilities to support customers with cabin interior systems.”
EFW has been an experienced Airbus First-Tier supplier for composite components for more than three decades. It has a steadily-growing product portfolio: from flat cabin and cargo floor composite panels and linings to cabin interiors like partitions, crew rest compartments and lavatories. Leveraging its capabilities in product design and know-how in top-edge, efficient production processes ensuring cost efficient and high-quality production, the company has developed from a manufacturer to a provider of system solutions for the aerospace industry.
Please see also the AIRBUS news: Airspace L bins - coming soon to Lufthansa’s A320s
About
About EFW
Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW), a subsidiary of ST Engineering and Airbus combines is one of the biggest industrial companies in Saxony with its headquarters in Dresden, Germany. As a competency center for freighter conversions, EFW is STC (Suppemental Type Certificate) holder for all recent Airbus conversion programs and has a global network of nine conversion sites in the U.S., in Europe and Asia. The company has more than 2,000 employees and is on a strong growth course. EFW groups lightweight components are manufactures in Dresden and at the subsidiary acosa in Kodersdorf, Saxony. EFWs lightweight products are not only used in aviation but also in the rail sector. An impressive track record spanning three decades speaks for itself: more than 5 million lightweight products in over 12,000 Airbus aircraft, over 200 converted cargo aircraft and numerous maintenance services on commercial and military aircraft. Airlines and customers worldwide operate EFW's converted cargo aircraft, including the largest express air freight companies in North America and Europe, such as DHL and Amazon. EFW's shareholders are ST Engineering and Airbus. In order to achieve the ambitious goals EFW wants to hire over 300 experts in 2023.
About EFW Composites
Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH develops, manufactures and supplies fiber-reinforced lightweight components for Airbus aircraft. The proportion of tailor-made products is high. Numbers speak for themselves: around 50,000 different geometric shapes and 160 material combinations go through the production of so-called "sandwich panels". The product portfolio ranges from floor panels and partition walls to bulletproof cockpit doors or up to modules like crew rest compartments - products with different, very demanding requirements.
EFW received several awards, amongst those the Airbus Best Performance & Quality Award 2019 for Cabin Equipment. With this Best Performance & Quality Award 2019 award, Airbus recognizes EFWs exceptional performance. EFW achieved an outstanding 99.5% delivery reliability across all programs. At the same time, Airbus gave EFW an A rating for the quality level of the components supplied over a longer period of time. In April 2019, EFW had received a Best Performer 'SQUIP' award as a supplier of composite components from Airbus.
