United Kingdom | April 30, 2018– STG Aerospace is delighted that Ruth Williams has joined the company as Head of Marketing. She will have a key role to play in developing and implementing a brand strategy aimed at raising global awareness of the company’s aircraft cabin lighting solutions and increasing market share across its entire photoluminescent and LED product range.
Having previously held positions as Director of Marketing at Restore Digital and Head of Corporate Communications at PHS Group, Ruth is highly skilled in all aspects of integrated B2B marketing and corporate communications, including social media and public relations.
Ruth has also been appointed to the position of Ambassador to Business Services on the new Welsh regional board of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). In short, Ruth is set to become a prominent role model for women in management in Wales.
Speaking of her new role, she said: “I’m very excited to play a part in cementing our status as a key technical innovator. I have huge ambitions for the company’s future, building our brand equity as well as reaching out to engage with new customers. I’m thrilled to be part of the STG Aerospace story for 2018 and beyond.”
Aircraft Interiors Expo, Hamburg | April 10, 2018– STG Aerospace is delighted to simultaneously announce the launch of the latest version of their liTeMood® LED lighting system for Airbus A320 and A330 aircraft, along with the first 2 launch customers – Small Planet Airlines and XL Airways France who will upgrade their A320/A321 and A330 fleets later this month respectively.
The dynamic and configurable full colour, plug-and-play, programmable retrofit lighting solution sets the scene in an instant and can be customised to any scene or scenario, helping create a unique experience that passengers won’t want to forget.
Marcus Williams, Director of Global Sales at STG Aerospace, highlighted: “Our liTeMood® retrofit LED system has revolutionised the way airlines with Boeing 737 and 757 aircraft can accomplish a LED lighting upgrade since 2014. We are now delighted to announce the availability of our next-generation system for the Airbus A320FAM, A330 and A340 fleets along with the first 2 of our launch customers, and for the first time offering a full colour, fully programmable solution.”
An extension of the proven feel and performance of STG Aerospace’s liTeMood®, the unique Airbus system offers fully customisable, animated scenes that can change post installation in just minutes via a patented infrared wand. As well as the choice of selection from over 16 million colours, the system offers the ability to incorporate bespoke scenes, from northern lights to sunrise and sunsets to more unique settings to celebrate national holidays.
Mr Kristijonas Kaikaris, the CEO of Small Planet Airlines, commented: “As an airline we strive to offer a world of infinite possibilities and improvements. By installing this system on our A320 aircraft it will assist us in our mission of delivering that world and help us personalise the way we interact with our passengers.”
Mr Fachinetti, Vice-President of Maintenance and Engineering at XL Airways France, added: “The latest innovation from liTeMood® allows us to create individual mood lighting scenarios to foster well-being for passengers through every phase of the flight, we’re delighted to be one of the first customers to offer this major enhancement to the passenger experience.”
Available for retrofit on single and twin aisle Airbus aircraft, the cost-effective power saving system works with both classic and enhanced CIDS, installed in under 6 hours (A320) and requires no changes to aircraft wiring or control systems.
Aircraft Interiors Expo, Hamburg | April 11, 2018– STG Aerospace is delighted to announce that it has been selected as the supplier for the photoluminescent emergency floor path marking system across Alaska Airlines’ Boeing and Airbus fleets, as the airline begins to streamline the cabins of its Virgin America fleet.
Alaska Airlines will install STG Aerospace’s next-generation saf-Tglo® SSUL photoluminescent emergency escape path marking system (EEPMS) on 116 aircraft across its retrofitted and new Boeing 737-700, MAX9 and Airbus A320 Family fleets – making it one of the largest multi-platform programmes ever awarded.
The retrofit programme, which is due to commence in late 2018, will see Alaska Airlines upgrade the photoluminescent EEPMS system in their Boeing and Airbus fleets to the latest saf-Tglo® SSUL design, which is the lightest, narrowest and most discrete photoluminescent solution available. Alaska Airlines will also replace the electrical emergency lighting system in the Airbus fleet, a change expected to realise significant operational cost savings due to the high reliability and fail-safe nature of saf-Tglo®.
Commenting on the recent contract award, Warren Hamilton, Director of Cabin Products and Interiors at Alaska Airlines, said: “STG Aerospace has been an exceptional supplier over many years, and their saf-Tglo® system has a proven track record of both robustness and reliability. This made the decision to integrate the system as part of the retrofit programme a natural one. Aesthetically, the system will assist us in unifying cabin appearance across the new combined Boeing and Airbus fleets, but more importantly it will assist us in keeping our guests and crew safe when they’re in our care.”
Marcus Williams, Director of Global Sales at STG Aerospace added: “We are always delighted when a long term customer chooses us for their latest cabin upgrade programme, as it means we are doing something right. In this case it is even more special because Alaska Airlines has trusted us to be part of their new brand following the integration of the Virgin America fleet. We are looking forward to beginning the installations next year and upgrading the entire fleet with our latest next-generation photoluminescent system.”
saf-Tglo® is available in 300 daytime colour options, and two glow colours, enabling airlines to align their corporate branding without compromising safety. Installed on 11,000 aircraft world-wide, saf-Tglo® is the highest performing and most discrete photoluminescent floor path marking system available on the market.
Aircraft Interiors Expo, Hamburg | April 12, 2018– In response to a request from its long-standing client Icelandair, STG Aerospace has designed, developed and patented a powerful and simple saf-Tsign® product, introduced to upgrade dated Passenger Service Units (PSU), complete with a switchable Wi-Fi sign.
As one of the first airlines to roll-out high-speed Wi-Fi connectivity across its entire fleet of aircraft, Icelandair turned to STG Aerospace to effectively communicate this major enhancement in the passenger experience on its fleet of Boeing 757 aircraft.
Through a powerful combination of photoluminescent and LED technology, the new PSU lens removes the need to backlight the No Smoking icon by moving it to a central position and illuminating the command with blue glowing photoluminescence, ensuring the sign is always visible even in low light and dark conditions.
Creating a switchable display on the left, now converted to LED, the No Smoking icon has been changed to a Wi-Fi icon, allowing airlines to manage the availability of the service and advertising to passengers that Wi-Fi is available on-board.
Dr Sean O’Kell, Director of Innovation at STG Aerospace, commented:
“When Icelandair approached us, we were only too pleased to respond. By applying our commitment to innovation and our expertise in both photoluminescent and LED technologies, we were able to rapidly develop an elegant solution and, using our in-house facilities, bring a new product to market in a remarkably short space of time.”
Sigurður Ingi Ljótsson, Industrial Designer at Icelandair, said: “Our long-standing relationship with STG Aerospace made them a first choice for this PSU upgrade project. By changing the switched no-smoking symbol for a Wi-Fi available one, we can let passengers know in the day or night that Wi-Fi connectivity is available on our planes.
In addition to the practical and aesthetic benefits, the new patented PSU lens is a lighter, simpler, retrofit solution that can be customised to provide effective on-brand messaging to all passengers on-board. To complete the modernisation process, STG Aerospace offers direct, filtered white LED’s to illuminate the sign and its latest square beam reading light.
United Kingdom | October 31, 2017–India’s third largest airline, SpiceJet, has partnered with STG Aerospace in a cabin lighting retrofit programme which will see the airline upgrade its fleet of 737-700 / -800 / -900 with LED aftermarket ambient lighting solution, liTeMood®
This is the first major retrofit win for STG Aerospace in the Asia Pacific region and the largest lighting retrofit contract that the company has been awarded. Selected on STG Aerospace’s ability to quickly deliver the programme in line with the airlines busy maintenance schedule, combined with the simplicity of installation, together made STG Aerospace the number one supplier for the large retrofit cabin lighting contract.
“It has always been our endeavour to provide the best in-flight experience to our passengers. We are extremely happy with STG Aerospace’s ability to meet our tight timescales” said Arun Kashyap, Executive Vice President (Engineering), SpiceJet. “We are looking forward to enhancing the passenger flying experience on our aircraft and harmonise the look and feel of our cabin interiors of our existing fleet to achieve impactful brand differentiation and fleet commonality”.
A customer of saf-Tglo® since 2005 SpiceJet will now combine both liTeMood® and saf-Tglo® systems to provide a total cabin lighting system that complements each other, resulting in satisfied passengers, increased wellbeing and reduced stress during the flight.
Marcus Williams, Global Sales & Marketing Director, added: “We’re delighted to be helping SpiceJet in their mission to become India’s preferred low-cost airline. This contract highlights the growing demand for STG Aerospace’s cabin lighting products from Indian carriers. Undoubtedly, SpiceJet’s decision to install our liTeMood® LED lighting system will help us to take full advantage of the rapidly growing retrofit market in India.”
liTeMood® has become the undisputed cabin mood lighting system of choice for operators of narrow-body Boeing fleets and is already delivering significant cabin transformations for numerous airlines in Europe, USA, Latin America and most recently Asia.
United Kingdom | August 10, 2017– Aircraft cabin lighting specialist, STG Aerospace is increasing its capability to meet future demand for its aircraft photoluminescent floor path marking, emergency and informational signage and LED mood lighting products. This is very much driven by the company’s commitment to R&D at its Innovation & Engineering Centre in Cwmbran – a part of Wales that is fast becoming a dynamic aerospace hub.
Nigel Duncan, CEO of STG Aerospace noted: “Our investment in R&D and Innovation has placed us at the forefront of research into the impact that lighting has on airline passengers, both physiologically and psychologically. It is central to our cabin lighting product development philosophy and key to the success of the company. That’s why we’re continuing to invest in the expertise of our team.”
Newly appointed Chief Operating Officer, Grant Bennett, who has overall responsibility not just for STG Aerospace’s Operations and Engineering functions, but also for the Supply Chain team, commented: “With my 20 years plus management experience and lean manufacturing expertise, I am looking forward to the imminent challenge of ensuring the seamless integration of all our operational functions as the company expands and develops.”
STG Aerospace continues to lead and light the way within the retrofit and upgrade market with its cabin lighting products on a third of the world’s airlines today. New Senior Marketing Manager, Caroline Easton, will be working on advancing the company’s global market position in LED and photoluminescent lighting. A lighting enthusiast at heart, Caroline previously worked in retail commercial LED lighting and is looking forward to applying her experience and expertise to LED cabin lighting: “I am passionate about the positive impacts light can have on people. Enhancing experiences, changing moods, creating theatre to performing essential functions. At STG Aerospace, I’m surrounded by likeminded professionals – and share a passion and desire to innovate with aviation in mind.”
STG Aerospace’s team culture pervades in every department and in the words of Nigel Howell, who recently joined as Head of Engineering, responsible for engineering capability, resource management and the design and development of all liTeMood® mood lighting products: “I joined STG Aerospace to make a difference and improve the capability to rapidly deliver new products to market. Ultimately to contribute to the success of the business.”
Mark Warren, Electronic Design Engineer, who is working as part of the team responsible for developing the LED software commented: “STG Aerospace struck me as a very forward-looking company and I was motivated by the fact it is obviously going places. I was excited by the commitment to develop new LED products. I am really enjoying working on products that airline passengers are actually going to benefit from.”
“The company’s vision and its global presence are the two reasons why I joined the team.” added Roger Tanner, Mechanical Design Engineer, who is primarily working on STG Aerospace’s innovative new LED cabin lighting product ranges.
Grant Bennett concluded: “STG Aerospace now has the right people in place in every department and I would say we have got the right team – an amazing innovative collective group to take the company forward to become a dominant world leader in aircraft cabin lighting solutions.”
United Kingdom | April 25, 2017– STG Aerospace, a world leader in pioneering aircraft lighting technologies, is delighted to announce that it has secured FAA approval for the installation of its LED liTeMood® system on the Boeing 757 series of aircraft.
This announcement follows the earlier FAA approval given for the 737NG series back in 2015 and complements the existing approvals given by EASA.
liTeMood® has become the undisputed system of choice for operators of narrow-body Boeing fleets and is already delivering significant cabin transformations with multiple US and Latin American airlines.
The simple plug-and-play lighting system, requires no aircraft modification and is easily installed under a single STC, enabling operators to bring the lighting quality of non-LED equipped aircraft cabins up to a standard comparable to the latest new aircraft in just a couple of hours.
Nigel Duncan, STG Aerospace’s CEO, commented: “This is excellent news for the company and will help us to build substantially on our already market-leading position as the very best retrofit lighting solution for both the 737 and 757 series of aircraft.”
STG Aerospace is currently exhibiting at MRO Americas which is being held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. On Stand 527, visitors will be able to see a wide range of the company’s photoluminescent and LED lighting products.
Hamburg, DE | April 6, 2017– At the PAX International Readership Awards ceremony held last night, at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Hamburg, STG Aerospace was awarded winner of the ‘Best Cabin Interior Passenger Experience’ category with its revolutionary square-beam liTeMood® LED Reading Lights.
Now in their 3rd year, the annual PAX Readership Awards offers the opportunity for the readers to vote for the industry’s most deserving players.
Nigel Duncan, Chief Executive of STG Aerospace, who collected the award on behalf of STG Aerospace, commented: “The STG Aerospace team are delighted to win this award. Readers of PAX International have shown their confidence in how our new reading light will enhance the passenger experience. This award is also a testament to the research, attention to detail and dedication the STG Aerospace team have put into developing and bringing to market such an innovative human-centric cabin light.”
Certified for Boeing 737NG and 757 aircraft types in March 2017, STG Aerospace liTeMood® LED Reading Lights are already in service with Titan Airways and Blue Air, and feature a unique square-light beam in place of the traditional circular beam, ensuring unrivalled passenger privacy.
United Kingdom | April 6, 2017– STG Aerospace is delighted to announce that its saf-Tglo® SSUL (SuperSeal UltraLite) PatternMatch™ option has been selected by China Eastern Airlines for the retrofit of 125 of its Boeing 737NG aircraft, as well as becoming line-fit for its latest new aircraft deliveries from Boeing.
The first 737 aircraft will be delivered from Boeing in June 2017, and the first retrofit kits have already been dispatched to China Eastern.
saf-Tglo® is the market leading photoluminescent emergency floor path marking system, fitted to in excess of 11,000 aircraft worldwide and is the system of choice for almost every major aircraft manufacturer. Maintenance free and with no life limit, saf-Tglo® SSUL is the next-generation photoluminescent system providing the lightest, narrowest and most discrete solution of its type available.
PatternMatch™ is the first photoluminescent system to exactly match the colour and pattern of the carpet, making it virtually invisible under normal daylight conditions and the optimal choice to perfectly compliment the aircraft cabin. Only in the event of a lighting system failure does the system glow in the same way as the standard system to perform its function of illuminating the path to the exits. PatternMatch™ is available either with a standard “green” glow, or alternatively with STG Aerospace’s unique blue-glowing system.
Mr. Fang Zhaoya, the Vice President of Eastern Airlines Technic Co., Ltd. commented “It is our goal to provide the best possible cabin environment for our passengers and as soon as we saw PatternMatch™ we knew we wanted to incorporate it into our 737 cabin upgrade programme. Because we could also choose it for our new aircraft orders from Boeing, we achieved our aim of a consistent brand feel across new and existing aircraft.”
STG Aerospace Sales and Marketing Director, Marcus Williams, added “We love it when a long-term customer like China Eastern Airlines places their trust in us to support such a prestigious cabin upgrade programme, and PatternMatch™ will deliver the customer’s goal of a discrete but safe solution to emergency exit guidance. Their decision is a validation of their trust in STG Aerospace and further evidence that our product development is truly meeting Chinese customer needs.”
In 2015, STG Aerospace launched STG Aerospace (China) Co., Ltd. in Shanghai. In addition to supporting the company’s existing customers in the country, this Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise is also working with the local aviation industry to tailor STG Aerospace products to the region’s specific requirements.
STG Aerospace has won eight consecutive Boeing Best Performance Awards since 2009.
Hamburg, DE | April 5, 2017– STG Aerospace, a research-driven innovator of aircraft cabin lighting, is delighted to announce that Icelandair, has selected their latest saf-Tglo® blu photoluminescent floor path marking system for install on its new fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 aircraft.
Since its launch at the end of 2016, saf-Tglo® blu has already been awarded the prestigious title of ‘Best Cabin Innovation’ of 2016 by APEX, gained FAA and EASA approval across the majority of Boeing, Airbus and Embraer aircraft types and been retrofitted with several major airlines, including one of the world’s largest low-cost carriers as well as a major Boeing 777 operator. Furthermore, STG Aerospace is delighted to announce that it is soon to be added to the options catalogue for major OEM programs.
Icelandair has already installed STG Aerospace’s green-glowing SSUL system across its Boeing 757 and 767 fleets, and its decision to install the latest evolution of saf-Tglo® on its latest fleet to enter service at the end of 2017 shows the airline’s commitment to deliver the highest possible standard of cabin experience to its passengers.
Sigurður Ingi Ljótsson, Icelandair’s Industrial Designer, commented: “We are excited to be installing such a new and innovative product that will help us improve even further the passenger experience on our newest incoming fleet, the Boeing 737MAX. saf-Tglo® improves the appearance of the cabin, has proven to be highly reliable and will provide Icelandair with cost savings compared to electrical alternatives.”
Marcus Williams, Global Sales and Marketing Director at STG Aerospace added: “It is great when an airline so renowned for delivering innovative and exceptional passenger experience chooses our latest generation solutions for their latest aircraft fleet. saf-Tglo® blu shows that you can combine a critical safety system with something that can enhance your brand.”
Based on the proven technology of the original and market-leading saf-Tglo® photoluminescent range, the unique and patented design of saf-Tglo® blu shifts away from the traditional green glow to an aesthetically pleasing blue glow that beautifully bridges the gap between critical safety performance and cabin aesthetics
Hamburg, DE | April 4, 2017– STG Aerospace, a world leader in lighting technologies for aircraft interiors, is delighted to announce it has won a major new contract to supply Boeing with its next generation photoluminescent floor path marking system, saf-Tglo® SuperSeal UltraLite (SSUL), for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
This latest contract win builds on the company’s outstanding performance and service delivery as a Tier 1 Boeing supplier, having this year been awarded their eighth consecutive supplier award for superior performance. STG Aerospace has been supplying the photoluminescent floor path marking system to Boeing for the Next-Generation 737 for more than 16 years.
As a line fit option on the 787 Dreamliner fleet, saf-Tglo® SSUL is fully certified by EASA and FAA for virtually every Boeing, Airbus and Embraer airplane model and enables the operators of multiple aircraft type fleets to have a common supplier for its emergency egress marking system. The lightest and most discrete Emergency Escape Path Marking System available, SSUL is also 17% brighter and 70% lighter than the previous SSL system, helping to reduce airline fuel costs.
SSUL’s reduced profile also makes it an optimal match for modern lightweight carpets and with over 300 colour options, and unique blue-glowing and carpet PatternMatch™ options available, airlines are able to co-ordinate the system with their cabin colour scheme and corporate branding without reducing safety.
First introduced in 1995, saf-Tglo® is installed on more than 11,000 aircraft worldwide and is the system of choice for virtually every major aircraft manufacturer and more than 300 airlines worldwide. Needing no power source, the system is 100% reliable, maintenance free and has no life limit thereby eliminating the operational delays and costs associated with electrical systems. Reduced maintenance costs of up to 80% are achieved through a durable material structure.
Marcus Williams, Global Sales and Marketing Director for STG Aerospace, commented:
“We’re thrilled our longstanding relationship with Boeing continues to evolve. This new contract to supply the production line for the 787 Dreamliner is another significant OEM contract win for us in recent months, and another major OEM contract in recent months. As one of Boeing’s worldwide suppliers, an achievement the entire company takes huge pride in, we’re delighted our quality performance and customer service continues to expand our key customer relationships.”
STG Aerospace has been a supplier to Boeing since 2000 and over the years has won a number of supplier awards in recognition of its high performance aircraft cabin lighting technologies. This year, STG Aerospace has won its eighth consecutive Boeing Performance Excellence Award.
AIX Hamburg, Germany | April 4, 2017– Aircraft cabin lighting specialist, STG Aerospace is delighted to announce that Romania’s largest airline Blue Air and leading charter carrier Titan Airways are the first airlines to install their revolutionary square-beam liTeMood® LED Reading Lights on their B737NG and B757 aircraft respectively. STG Aerospace has also secured EASA certification for both aircraft types.
The liTeMood® LED Reading Light, an APEX 2016 awards finalist in the ‘Best Passenger Comfort’ category, is a quick-to-install drop-in replacement for the standard incandescent reading lights installed on B737NG and many B757 aircraft.
Featuring patented photometric technology, liTeMood® LED Reading Lights create a more restful, private space with a greater sense of personal control by introducing a unique square-light beam in place of the traditional circular beam. This square-beam distributes light precisely and evenly across the seat and tray table, improving visibility and eliminating hot spots and light spill to neighbouring passengers. Meanwhile the high CRI (Colour Rendering Index) and high R9 (High Quality Red pigment) means not only is magazine text more readable but that inflight meals appear more enticing and on-board merchandise more attractive for purchase. It also dramatically reduces the glare on tray tables, eBooks and tablets, working for all passenger types. Operational benefits include a dramatic improvement in reliability, by over 10 times, and simple installation meaning a complete aircraft can be fitted out in just a few hours.
With thousands of passengers on-board Titan Airways and Blue Air aircraft benefiting from their new reading experience from liTeMood®, and further airline installations scheduled for this year, the enhancements in passenger comfort of this simple upgrade are obvious.
Alastair Wilson, Director, Titan Airways, commented: “At Titan Airways we strive to give all of our passengers a premium experience. Lighting is an important way we do this. After retrofitting 757’s with liTeMood® mood lighting last year, the decision to upgrade our reading lighting was an obvious one. This simple, same-day installation will provide years of benefits to our VIP passengers all across the globe.”
Aurelian Bobei, CAMO Director, Blue Air, commented: “We’re excited to offer our B737NG passengers the very latest reading light technology from STG Aerospace, the operational benefits of this product were immediately visible to each of us, and can now guarantee a fully new, highly reliable reading light to our passengers on-board.”
Marcus Williams, Global Sales and Marketing Director for STG Aerospace added: “We’re delighted that Titan Airways and Blue Air have chosen our new liTeMood® LED Reading Light. We all want increased privacy and comfort during our flights, and our new reading light will offer passengers with Blue Air and Titan new levels of this, as well as providing an enhanced reading and working environment.”
United Kingdom | March 29, 2017– STG Aerospace, the innovative aircraft cabin lighting company, is delighted to announce that it has secured FAA approval for saf-Tglo® blu across the majority of Boeing, Airbus and Embraer aircraft types.
Combining critical safety performance with enhanced interior aesthetics, saf-Tglo® blu is the world’s first blue glowing photoluminescent emergency floor path marking system.
Recently awarded the prestigious title of ‘Best Cabin Innovation of 2016’ by APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association) it will soon to be added to the options catalogue for major OEM programmes, this approval allows airlines following FAA regulations to install the system.
saf-Tglo® blu will transform how airlines accomplish emergency way guidance, for the first time enabling this critical safety system to complement the aircraft cabin aesthetics. With the same choice of base colours to match the carpet and interior colour scheme as the original saf-Tglo® range, saf-Tglo® blu introduces a soothing blue glow in place of the traditional green glow. This works with an airline’s branding and the latest LED lighting installed in modern aircraft.
saf-Tglo® blu is based on the proven technology of the original and market-leading saf-Tglo® photoluminescent range and is available in the company’s SuperSeal UltraLite® (SSUL) system, which is the lightest, narrowest and highest performing photoluminescent system available. The simplicity of its design, its 100% reliability and being maintenance free with no life limit ensures that airlines can make significant operational savings too.
Dr Sean O’Kell, Director of Innovation at STG Aerospace, commented: “saf-Tglo® blu is the first blue glowing photoluminescent system to have ever been approved for any aircraft application. Following the EASA approval last year, we’re delighted we now have FAA certification for the leading aircraft types and we are already seeing significant interest in the product from both OEMs and airlines across the globe.”
STG Aerospace will be showcasing saf-Tglo® blu on its stand 6A28 at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg on 4th – 6th April 2017.
Cwmbran, United Kingdom | March 8, 2017– STG Aerospace, a research-driven pioneer in aircraft cabin lighting, held an Open Day on 7th March at its Innovation & Engineering Centre on the Llantarnam Industrial Park, Cwmbran.
Visitors, including customers and suppliers as well as academics engaged in joint research projects and other invited guests, were given a tour of the company’s facility where the company has already created 36 jobs since it was first opened in 2015.
The tour also included demonstrations of the latest product developments from STG Aerospace. These included the company’s new LED reading light, part of its liTeMood® range which, with its patented square light pattern, minimises the light spill onto neighbouring seats and helps give passengers a sense of control over their own environment. Also being demonstrated was saf-Tglo® blu, the world’s first ever blue-glowing photoluminescent emergency floorpath marking system which creates a more calming ambience and has already won a prestigious APEX Award for Best Cabin Innovation.
At the Open Day, there were speeches from Harriet Wollerton, Aerospace Operations & Business Development Manager at ADS, the trade body for the UK aerospace, defence, security and space industries, and from John Whalley, Chief Executive of Aerospace Wales, a trade association for all companies operating in the country.
Welcoming the news, Economy Secretary Ken Skates said: “STG Aerospace is a recognised market leader in its field and has a quite remarkable global reach, exporting worldwide with its products acknowledged as industry standards. This is a considerable achievement and STG Aerospace is a very welcome addition to the dynamic aerospace sector we have in Wales.
“I am delighted Welsh Government support helped the company establish its new centre in Wales and that it has created significantly more jobs than was originally anticipated which is great news.
“Today marks an important date in STG Aerospace’s business calendar as it marks the completion of its first major strategic investment and enhanced capabilities and I wish the company every success in the future.”
The STG Aerospace Innovation & Engineering Centre is equipped with a goniophotometer, used for measuring the size, space and shape that lighting takes up, and an integrating sphere which is used to analyse colour. The Centre also has two sections of aircraft, a Boeing and an Airbus, used to visualise how new products will actually work when in service. In addition, there is a Chemistry Laboratory and a Flammability Laboratory.
“We were delighted to have this opportunity to demonstrate the full extent of our research and development facilities to so many important guests”, said Nigel Duncan, CEO at STG Aerospace. “Being at the cutting edge of research into how lighting affects people, physiologically and psychologically, is central to our product development philosophy.”
STG Aerospace’s success and rapid growth is reflected by a range of global patents and the number of major industry awards it has received, including winning the Queen’s Award for Enterprise on four separate occasions.
Its Innovation & Engineering Centre in Brecon House on Llantarnam Industrial Park has an extensive R&D facility that includes a state of the art lighting laboratories and simulations of 737 and A320 aircraft.
United Kingdom | November 30, 2016– STG Aerospace, the pioneering aircraft cabin lighting specialist, is delighted to announce that it is expanding its global sales team with two new key appointments. The new Regional Sales Managers, Robert Keepers, based in Dallas TX and Theresa Härtel, based in Germany, will join the US and EMEA sales teams respectively.
Before taking up his new role, Robert worked for Panasonic Avionics Corporation advancing in a number of roles since first joining the company in 2000. Most recently, as Marketing Account Manager Robert worked directly with airlines in Central/South America, coordinating the promotion and installation of the company’s in-flight entertainment systems. A graduate from New Mexico State University, Robert holds a BBA degree in Marketing and Management and is multi-lingual.
Commenting on his new role, Robert said: “STG Aerospace is a real force for innovation in the cabin lighting sector and I’m really looking forward to playing a lead role in promoting the many benefits of their entire product range right across the growing US market.”
Theresa will be joining the company from UTC Aerospace Systems where, as Product Sales Manager – Europe, Middle East and Africa, she was responsible for initiating and leading sales campaigns for the company’s Interiors Business Unit. Prior to that, she worked for one of UTC’s subsidiaries, Goodrich Lighting Systems GmbH, as Program Manager – Worldwide Aftermarket. Theresa holds a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Applied Sciences, Bielefeld, and has been certified as a Project Manager by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Bielefeld.
Theresa commented: Theresa commented: “I’m delighted to be joining such an innovative and successful company as STG Aerospace. I’m very much looking forward to applying my skills to building new business across the EMEA region.”
Marcus Williams, Global Sales and Marketing Director for STG Aerospace, added: “Both new appointments reflect the ongoing success that we’re developing worldwide. Robert and Theresa have precisely the skills and experience we seek out to continue to help drive our growth and we are delighted to welcome them to our world class team.”
A Tier 1 or Tier 2 OEM for virtually every major aircraft manufacturer, STG Aerospace also counts hundreds of airlines, lessors and MROs among its customers. Its products are currently installed in over 10,000 aircraft worldwide, representing one third of the world’s passenger fleet.
United Kingdom | October 20, 2016– Leading cabin lighting company STG Aerospace is delighted to announce that EASA has approved its latest photoluminescent floorpath marking system, saf-Tglo® blu, for the following aircraft in the current Airbus fleet – the A300, A310, A320, A330 and A340.
This is the first time that an emergency egress system using blue photoluminescence has been approved for use in any aircraft application. saf-Tglo® blu provides a unique colour glow for operators of aircraft in the Airbus family and cabin designers alike preparing to modify or upgrade Airbus aircraft interiors.
Engineered from the proven technology of the original and market-leading saf-Tglo® photoluminescent range, the unique and patented design of saf-Tglo® blu emits a blue glow, a noticeable change from the traditional green glow that has always been associated with the product, and enables airlines to subtly transform cabin aesthetics via simple illumination without compromising passenger safety.
In daylight, the body colour of saf-Tglo® blu is whiter than the glow produced by traditional photoluminescent systems meaning that when it is used with any translucent film or overlay, the result is a truer, brighter, cleaner colour. In darkness, the glow has a calmer, softer, more reassuring quality whilst still performing the critical safety function the system provides.
saf-Tglo® blu is an obvious choice for operators of Airbus aircraft looking to improve their interiors appeal, the unique transformation afforded by the simplistic modification of a saf-Tglo® blu installation has the distinct ability to transform any aircraft, blending seamlessly with the latest mood lighting systems. Whilst obviously a significant visual upgrade, the origins of the design are actually based in science, and specifically the results of a human perception analysis which show that the blue wavelengths of emitted light enable enhanced passenger perception of the emergency track with a dark adapted human eye.
saf-Tglo® is the world’s lightest, narrowest and most discreet floor path marking system and the first non-electrical system that can reduce maintenance and operational costs. Installed on over 10,000 aircraft worldwide and selected by virtually every major aircraft manufacturer it is the photoluminescent floor path marking system of choice for aircraft manufacturers, airlines and cabin designers.
The EASA approval process was executed using STG Aerospace’s own in-house Design Organisation Approval (DOA) procedures and, using its extensive in-service performance data, the company has been able to reduce the maintenance burden for airlines by minimising the requirement for inspections. As with other versions of saf-Tglo®, saf-Tglo® blu can be very easily installed – typically by an airline’s own technical staff during an overnight shift.
Sean O’Kell, Director of Innovation for STG Aerospace, commented: “Securing EASA approval for saf-Tglo® blu across the Airbus fleet obviously opens up exciting new marketing opportunities for us and we’re already in advanced negotiations with key launch customers. As a product, it symbolises our commitment to the continual evolution of the saf-Tglo® range – always enhancing the aesthetics without in any way compromising on safety.”
United Kingdom | October 19, 2016– STG Aerospace, the market leader in aftermarket LED cabin lighting solutions, is delighted to announce that South African regional feeder airline Airlink has awarded them a Purchase Order to retrofit 12 of their aircraft with their drop-in liTeMood® LED lighting system.
With the first installations completed in October 2016, Airlink becomes the 12th airline to install STG Aerospace’s LED lighting solution, marking out STG Aerospace as a supplier of choice and a clear market favourite for LED cabin lighting upgrades.
Privately-owned and with more than 21 years of customer experience, Airlink offers the widest network and choice of flights within Southern Africa. Airlink operates as a franchisee of South African Airways using its own visible brand intellectual property. Through the alliance with SAA, customers can enjoy convenient connections with SAA, their Star Alliance Partner airlines and other carriers throughout Southern Africa and the world. Based in Johannesburg, the airline has secondary hubs in Cape Town and Durban. Airlink currently connects approximately 1.3 million customers to 36 destinations in 9 African countries.
Neil Wilson, Airlink’s Executive Manager, Fleet Support and RPA, commented: “Not only were we extremely pleased with the enhanced quality of the light in the cabin, we were equally impressed by STG Aerospace’s ability to meet our supply deadlines and the ease with which we are able to install the system on our fleet. Nice result!”
Marcus Williams, Global Sales and Marketing Director at STG Aerospace, added: “We are delighted that Airlink, a valued long term customer of STG over the years, has chosen to install our LED cabin lighting across their fleet, and in doing so becomes our first LED lighting customer in Africa. We’re thrilled that they are so pleased with the results.”
United Kingdom | May 27, 2016– STG Aerospace, a leading aircraft cabin lighting OEM, is delighted to announce that prestigious British charter carrier Titan Airways is the latest airline to install STG’s market leading liTeMood® retrofit LED mood lighting system on its Boeing 757 aircraft.
With the first retrofitted aircraft installed during a cabin re-configuration earlier this week and already in commercial service, its sister aircraft will be modified later this summer. This adds to the increasing number of airlines across Europe, North and South America that have selected liTeMood® – making it the undisputed system of choice for operators of narrow-body Boeing fleets looking for a best in class but cost-effective solution for upgrading dated cabin lighting.
liTeMood® represents the next generation in simple, beautiful and easy-to-install retrofit LED mood-lighting aimed at significantly improving passenger comfort and reducing maintenance costs. The blue/white bi-colour system creates a calming and fresh cabin ambience by delivering outstanding quality and consistency of light throughout the cabin.
Whilst “Plug and Play” can be an abused term in the world of aircraft modifications, liTeMood® is a genuine example of a truly simple upgrade requiring no aircraft modifications, using all the existing wiring, mounting points, connectors and control panel. The system is typically installed in under five hours, independent of and with minimal impact to any other cabin work making it straightforward to accomplish during a short stop.
FAA and EASA approved, liTeMood® is significantly more reliable than traditional fluorescent lighting systems, reducing ongoing maintenance and operational costs, and offers both a 36kg weight reduction and at least 50% reduction in power consumption, substantially increasing both fuel efficiency and electrical efficiency.
Alastair Willson, Director of Titan Airways said: “At Titan Airways we are always striving to improve the in-flight experience and the investment in mood lighting is one more enhancement of the Titan Airways product. We selected STG Aerospace’s liTeMood® system due to their huge experience and expertise in upgrading Boeing 737 and 757 aircraft with LED cabin lighting. The simplicity and speed of installation was exactly as described and the transformation of the cabin was breath-taking. The latest investment follows installation of a state-of-the-art wireless in-flight entertainment system across Titan’s Boeing 757 and Airbus A320 fleets last year”.
Nigel Duncan, CEO of STG Aerospace, commented: “We are delighted that Titan Airways, one of the most prestigious charter airlines in the world, has selected liTeMood® for its Boeing 757 fleet. The installation, carried out at short notice the weekend ahead of a VIP charter operation, was an excellent partnership between STG and Titan engineering teams and is further evidence that liTeMood® has become the clear choice for operators of Boeing narrow-body aircraft”.
Carlisle Interconnect Technologies:
AIX is a great place to check on the status of new product projects, many taking over a year to design, develop, and certify for flying. When we first discovered the satcom adapter plate and Radome from CarlisleiT/Saint Gobain a few months back we note: “CarliseIT, in partnership with Saint Gobain Performance Plastics, now offers multiple ARINC 791 solutions for Ka-band, Ku-band and Tri-band SATCOM installations. The complete package contains the CarlisleIT ARINC 791 compliant adapter plate, provisions for Outside Airframe Equipment (OAE), and intercostal kits required for both retrofit and line fit installations on transport jet aircraft. Installation fittings on the adapter plate are adjustable to cover the complete range of aircraft frame spacing, while providing discrete interface loads to the fuselage. The aerodynamic skirt follows the fuselage curvature without requiring a large installation doubler, sealants, or additional fasteners through the aircraft skin.” The key here is ARINC 791, as it: “ …fulfills the requirement for a standardized installation, easier maintenance inspections, and overall lower cost of ownership. Conformance to the ARINC 791 standard also helps future-proofs the SATCOM installation, and makes upgrades to next generation antennas and SATCOM system equipment easier and faster with commonality across entire fleets.” At AIX 2016, we talked with Kris Samuelson, Director Sales IFE & SatCom and he told IFExpress: “Since APEX in Portland, we have been finalizing developments for line-fit products like the FlightGear, ARINC 791 Ka/Ku Universal Installation and we are looking at some 300 product sales and future installations. Further, the adapter plate and radome you saw at APEX have passed birdstrike and lightening certification tests. We plan to oversee installation mid-April and witness flight test in July. Their A320 STC will follow in August of this year. This product offers lower cost of ownership, 40% – 50% longer flight time between inspections and it is a simplified upgrade, it saves time and money. We expect the Ku installations in September of this year.” Additionally, Kris also mentioned: “The total system weight (antenna/radome) is 271 pounds,” he said, “and you will hear a lot more about this product as we will be producing an A791 adapter plate for Ku band low format antenna. The essential shape will remain similar however, we have to adjust some dimensions to accommodate that design. All in all,” he said, “There is a lot more than meets the eye with this product and we have our electrical and mechanical designers to thank for it’s flexible adaptability.”
STG Aerospace:
One of the more interesting meetings at an IFE show is always one with the folks at STG Aerospace and especially with Nigel Duncan CEO. Why, you ask? Because Nigel is probably the best salesperson we have ever seen… at the least, he knows his products as well as anyone in his company. But more importantly, he as excited about them and when we visited, we heard and discussed their new passenger oriented liteMoodLED Cabin Lighting product, the latest in photoluminescent floor path marking saf-Tglo blu, and STG liteMood, their new LED strip lighting that replaces fluorescents in planes.
Lets start off with one of the most amazing passenger lights we have ever seen – STG liteMood passenger cabin reading light. As we all know, the light over a passenger seat that can be turned off and on by passengers normally describes conical light beam that illuminates a seat and can be adjusted to adjust the light on your tray table or the book you are reading. The problem is one of filament illumination. First the shape (bulb) is circular and diffuse light travels beyond your use and usually illuminates more than the table. Further, it does that because to get enough light for your use, the conical beam is bigger than needed. This means that your light, and all the others, use more power and illuminate more than one passenger, just to solve the illumination problem. Nigel’s team decided that they could do a better job and did just that – STG made an LED light that delivers a rectangular light beam illuminating only one table top. More importantly, they are using LEDs, which can get near to the color of solar light – better on the eyes and limit brightness. The light itself fits in existing fixtures, uses one LED in a special lamp-sized replacement and works like any other bulb but does a better job, at less power. Don’t believe us, check out the demo box picture (the light itself just replaces ones in the plane) and see for yourself: STG Aerospace gives passengers a defined private space with its new passenger centric LED reading light. Designed initially for the B737NG, we expect to see a lot more planes with this product.
Next, we saw the saf-Tglo product, a blue photoluminescent floor path living strip that delivers a blue shift, different from green strips that abound today. While aesthetic are on value in this product, their brochure notes that, “In addition to optimizing the glow colour, saf-Tglo blu provides a wider, brighter colour palette in ambient due to it’s whiter base colour.” Be sure to see it for yourself!
Finally, Neil Thomas told IFExpress: “Quite frankly, any light in the cabin is one we are looking to improve,” and thus he gave a perfect introduction to the last new product we saw, the new LED mood lighting system using LED strip lights that replace fluorescent lights and deliver an improved onboard experience. Said Nigel; “STG is trying to do things with lighting that collectively make a big difference.” Importantly, the lighting on an aircraft can affect the mood of passengers and STG realized the need for a ‘more aesthetically pleasing’ light solution and eliminate the sub-visual flickering that fluorescent lights give off. Mr. Duncan noted a Manchester University study that shows it is not the variety of colors that impacts passengers, it is the depth of color and saturation levels – features designed into their lighting solution. The liteMood LED cabin lights are presently installed on B757 and B737NG aircraft and have been flying for 16 months now. Since some 96 percent of flying aircraft today utilize fluorescent lighting the market looks quite healthy but because the STG provides a strip kit, the airlines can do the modification themselves.
Inmarsat:
The company has outlined its long-term aviation broadband roadmap to ensure that rising demand for fast, reliable and global passenger in-flight connectivity is met for the next five years and beyond. The launch of Inmarsat’s Global Xpress (GX) Aviation solution this year (Dec. 2016) creates the world’s first high-speed passenger in-flight connectivity solution with seamless, end-to-end global coverage, delivered through a single operator. Initial airline customers include Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Jazeera Airways. In all, they are running some 26 STC programs in parallel!
Inmarsat noted: “The GX network, which entered commercial service in December 2015 and currently includes three powerful Ka-band satellites, will provide the international bandwidth capacity needed to meet existing and near-term demand from airlines. As part of the aviation broadband roadmap, it also provides a global coverage underlay that will be built upon to meet future demand.” We note that GX is Ka Band and it employs spot beams. From their Newsroom: “The companies will manufacture 0.6 to 2.4 metre aperture terminals to deliver up to 50Mbps downlink speeds.” We also note that this should replicate data rates like ground based mobile applications. Also, keep your eye on future GX applications that support the new, flat Kymeta antenna!
Inmarsat has already committed to a fourth GX satellite, which is completing construction and testing by Boeing and will provide additional network capacity. It has also awarded Airbus Defence and Space a contract to build the first two satellites for its sixth-generation fleet, the first of which is scheduled for delivery by 2020. Uniquely for Inmarsat, the new fleet will feature a dual-payload, with each satellite supporting both Ka-band and L-band services. Based on current services and demand, the Ka-band co-payload will augment the capacity of the GX network over busy air routes and regions, while the L-band capacity supports a new generation of aviation safety services. Launch customer, Lufthansa, will install and go into service 3Q 2016 on an A320.
Another vital component in the roadmap is Inmarsat’s European Aviation Network (EAN), which will be the first aviation passenger connectivity solution across European airspace to integrate an advanced satellite network and LTE-based ground network; the latter will be operated by Deutsche Telekom. Aircraft will switch automatically between satellite and terrestrial connectivity using an onboard network communicator for optimal service delivery.
Also, Inmarsat, has signed a Heads of Terms (HoT) agreement with Beijing Marine Communication & Navigation Company Ltd. (MCN), which will lead to the creation of a joint venture (JV) to provide aircraft cabin and cockpit connectivity solutions in China’s fast-growing commercial aviation market. The Inmarsat services that would be provided through the JV include Global Xpress (GX) Aviation and SwiftBroadband-Safety (SB-S). The final agreement is expected to be signed later this year.
Inmarsat noted also: “GX Aviation will launch this year as the world’s first broadband in-flight connectivity solution with seamless, end-to-end global coverage. Passengers will be able to browse the internet, use social media, stream online videos, download files and more using their smartphones, tablets and other Wi-Fi enabled devices, with a similar quality of service in the air as they would receive on the ground.”
Note: SB-S is a next generation cyber secure flight deck communication platform, enabling airlines to meet the ICAO mandate for sub-15 minute tracking of all aircraft, Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC)’s four-minute mandate, Automatic Dependent Surveillance and electronic flight bag updates. Combining L-band satellite connectivity with advanced avionics, it delivers speeds 10 times faster than existing Classic Aero services to provide airlines with cockpit communications for the digital age.
OTHER NEWS
IFP/GEE:
Editor’s Note: There has been a lawsuit underway between content service provider, IFP (parent company Global Eagle) and Universal regarding licensing since 2013. The issue will go to damages trial on May 10, 2016. Below are a series of exerts from various publications that outline the history suit:
“The defendant in the lawsuit is IFP and parent company Global Eagle, a worldwide provider of in-flight entertainment from movies to songs. IFP scored a lucrative contract loading American Airlines (and later US Airways) with music playlists obtained via physical CDs and digital downloads, and in 2008 upon concern that it had licensing issues, approached the major labels for a deal.” Hollywood Reporter 4/22/16
“At issue is the discrepancy between what artists get paid for a ‘license’ of their song versus a ‘sale’ of their song. Under contracts that were written before iTunes and other song download services, artists were paid 15% per sale but 50% per license. However, many ‘legacy’ artists argued that digital downloads were licenses, not sales, and they should be paid the higher royalty rate.” Plagiarism Today March 20, 2015
“Inflight operates the entertainment consoles for various airlines, including American Airlines, which was added to the lawsuit previously. Universal alleges that Inflight did not have proper licenses to play Universal Music, especially on international flights where there may not be a single licensing body to authorize the use of music.
However, Inflight has responded saying that they had an agreement with Universal that began in 2009. Though the agreement was never finalized, Universal repeatedly assured Inflight that they were not infringing until, in 2013, Universal hit them with a surprise cease and desist letter.” Plagiarism Today March 20, 2015
“Then in November 2013 the label suddenly sent them a cease-and-desist letter, which they claim has interfered with their contractual relationships with airlines.
They speculate Universal changed its tune in response to changes in the music industry. They claim the label followed the example of Sony’s suit in 2013 against Inflight and United Airlines specifically over Irish licenses (the case eventually settled). Then they claim Universal wants money in settlements “in the wake of a substantial decline in the music business” and want to establish its own business to provide music to airlines.”Hollywood Reporter 3/19/15
“In a tentative summary judgment ruling that was adopted on Wednesday, however, U.S. District Judge George Wu writes, “At best, there is evidence that the parties discussed various terms, but never reached any final agreements,” and further, “There is ample evidence that IFP knew it had no licenses from Plaintiffs and that it could be sued for copyright infringement, and no evidence that Plaintiffs ever indicated to IFP that any such licenses were forthcoming or misrepresented any existing fact.” Hollywood Reporter 4/22/16
“Here’s the adopted tentative as well as the Wednesday ruling that also rejects a statute of limitations defense. The case is now set for a damages trial on May 10 with more than 4,500 copyrights involved. The plaintiffs are led by Jeffrey D. Goldman at Jeffer Mangels while the defendants are being handled by Marty Katz at Shappard Mullin.” Hollywood Reporter 4/22/16
“Universal Music and its co-plaintiffs are seeking maximum statutory damages of $150,000 for each work that Inflight infringed, or an award of profits and compensatory damages. They also seek restitution of Inflight’s profits, punitive and exemplary damages, and an injunction.” Courthouse News – 6/23/15
You do the math!
EVEN MORE NEWS
- Last week’s BUZZ picture was incorrect… please note we pictured Ms. Agnieszka Jacquemot with Sara Pepic’s quote? Thank you, Alexander Preston, as you win the IFExpress prize – your name in print!
- Also, Web Barth can be reached as follows: webbarth@vts.global – Sorry Web, didn’t know there was a ‘.global’ on the web.
- And lastly, On July 15, 2016, Boeing will celebrate its’ 100th birthday.
Hamburg, Germany | April 6, 2016– Eastern Air Lines, the iconic brand that was synonymous with air travel in the last century, is back in the air, flying with STG Aerospace’s LED mood lighting system, liTeMood® on it’s 737NG aircraft.
The re-born carrier, which is based alongside STG Aerospace at Miami International Airport, has been operating twice-daily flights between Miami and Havana since May 2015 and has other Latin American destinations on the horizon.
Becoming the latest airline to install the FAA and EASA approved LED mood lighting system, Eastern Air Lines selected liTeMood® on the basis of its capability to improve the passenger experience through the on-board quality and consistency of light. With its unique, patented wireless programmability function, lighting levels can be easily tailored to create the exact aesthetic ambience that the aircraft’s operators require.
The installation took place during an interior upgrade, using all the existing wiring, mounting points and connectors, making it a true plug-and-play system. CEO of Eastern Air Lines, Ed Wegel, commented:
“Everything that STG Aerospace said about the simplicity of installing liTeMood® LED mood lighting proved to be 100% accurate. STG Aerospace has enabled us to offer our passengers the best cabin ambience experience.”
In addition to improving the overall comfort within the cabin, liTeMood® offers up to a 40kg weight reduction and a further 70% reduction in power consumption, significantly increasing both the fuel efficiency and electrical efficiency on aircraft. STG Aerospace’s liTeMood® is more reliable than original-fit fluorescent lighting systems, and reduces ongoing maintenance and operational costs.
While STG’s team stood by to support the carrier’s first installation, Eastern Air Lines was successful installing the system on their own, which is a testament to the ease of installation. Marcus Williams, Director of Sales for STG Aerospace added:
“It is fantastic to be working with such a legacy carrier. The Eastern Air Lines installation is another example of just how quickly and easily liTeMood® can be installed, requiring no aircraft modification. STG Aerospace’s cabin lighting systems improve the passenger ambience by creating a better defined and more comfortable passenger environment. STG Aerospace has an enviable track record of innovation and bringing simple, practical, cost effective cabin lighting solutions to market which make a genuine difference to our airline customers and ultimately their passengers.”
Complementing its liTeMood® LED mood lighting system, STG Aerospace offers a range of liTeMood® LED ancillary lighting solutions which work together to create a uniformity of colour throughout the aircraft cabin.
Hamburg, Germany | April 7, 2016– STG Aerospace, the pioneering developer of innovative aircraft cabin lighting, is delighted to announce that is has been granted Design Organisation Approval (DOA) status by EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency).
Design Organisation Approval is a significant milestone for STG Aerospace and complements the existing EASA Production Organisation Approval EASA.UK.21G.2540. With the addition of this new approval STG Aerospace is now able to develop, produce and certify all new products within the company with the benefit of full oversight and reduced timescales, thereby meeting customer expectations.
As part of the EASA audit that led to the granting of DOA status, STG Aerospace was required to deliver a full presentation on the company’s capabilities and procedures, undertake specific staff training and define a number of key internal roles and responsibilities. As a result, Dr Sean O’Kell, the company’s Director of Innovation, now also has the official title of Head of Design, and Dale Williams, Certification Manager, is now also Chief of the Office of Airworthiness.
Dr Sean O’Kell commented: “This is excellent news for STG Aerospace, the DOA will extend our capability and simplify the route for certification approval. Historically we have always had to use external DOA’s to complete the certification process on our behalf but having DOA status will significantly extend our capabilities, reduce timescales and streamline the product development process.”
Headquartered in Germany, EASA is an agency of the European Union (EU) with regulatory and executive responsibilities covering civilian aviation safety. Specifically, EASA conducts safety research and undertakes analyses, authorises foreign operators, provides advice on the drafting of EU legislation, implements and monitors safety rules and issues type-certifications for aircraft and components as well as approving organisations involved in the design, manufacture and maintenance of aeronautical products.
Hamburg, Germany | April 6, 2016– A pioneering developer of innovative aircraft cabin lighting, STG Aerospace is delighted to announce the launch of its new ancillary lighting products within its liTeMood® product range.
Successfully installed and currently in service on Air Europa Boeing 737-800s and with a backlog of customer orders for delivery through April, the suite of LED plug and play ancillary lights are a popular choice for airlines currently flying with STG Aerospace’s liTeMood® mood lighting system, to complete the homogenous, controllable and uniform lighting environment throughout the cabin.
Reflecting its holistic approach to cabin lighting, STG Aerospace has carefully designed the ancillary range to deliver a superior consistency of light throughout the cabin while enhancing the passenger experience during the boarding, in-flight and disembarking process. It also provides for an enhanced working environment in the galleys and aisles for the flight crew.
In line with the installation simplicity of liTeMood® mood lighting system, the affordable, aftermarket, plug and play ancillary lights are also easily installed within minutes, without the need for any specialist tools or modifications to the aircraft systems or operational procedures, and comprise of the following;
Over Wing Exit
A direct LED replacement for the incumbent T5 fluorescent tube, the LED replacement has been designed with passenger safety in mind.
Recessed Ceiling, Forward & Aft Entry Lights
Located directly above the entry doors and ceiling of the aircraft, these low profile LED units are designed for an easy retrofit to replace the incumbent light/ballast. Featuring a high CCT (Correlated Colour Temperature), the lighting is designed to create a modern perception of the cabin, from boarding through to disembarking.
Sidewall Lenses
Designed to work in harmony with the liTeMood® LED mood lighting system, these aftermarket replacement lenses create a uniformity of colour throughout the cabin by restoring old yellowing lenses back to their original state.
In late 2015, Air Europa selected liTeMood® for the retrofitting of its fleet of 737-800s in order to create the same passenger experience as that provided on their recently delivered 787s. In addition, the new liTeMood® Over Wing Exit lights together with the Forward & Aft Entry Lights have now been installed on four of the airline’s 737s.
Nigel Duncan, STG Aerospace’s Chief Executive added: “These new products are all a reflection of the fact that STG Aerospace is not just a market leader in photoluminescent lighting but also a research-driven pioneer and emerging leader of new LED-based, human-centric aftermarket lighting solutions. We believe that every element of aircraft cabin lighting should not only perform its own task but should also contribute to the overall holistic ambience of the total cabin. We’re delighted that Air Europa has taken up our new products so soon after their launch.”
United Kingdom | April 5, 2016– Aircraft cabin lighting specialist, STG Aerospace has re-defined standards in passenger privacy, comfort and visual experience with the launch of its highly innovative liTeMood® LED reading light.
liTeMood® LED reading lights are an affordable plug and play replacement for Boeing 737 NG incandescent reading lights. The passenger centric lighting units feature a unique patented photometric design that delivers a square light pattern which precisely defines the individual passenger space, while preventing the inconvenient light spill onto neighbouring passengers.
In addition to improving the overall comfort in the cabin, liTeMood® LED reading lights offer unparalleled levels of performance and are over 10 times more reliable than incandescent lights, and offer an 80% power reduction to increase the aircraft electrical efficiency.
Commenting on the latest addition to join the liTeMood® family, Dr Sean O’Kell, Director of Innovation at STG Aerospace, commented: “We have designed a really clever optic that instead of providing a circular light source, delivers a high quality uniform square light pattern which provides a better reading environment and defines the passenger space. Our new reading light is the latest example of our commitment to human-centric lighting and has been designed to tick all the boxes – the quality of light, the quantity of light, the passenger experience and the ease of installation – for the airline it really is just like changing a bulb.”
Designed to reduce the glare on tray tables, eBooks and tablets, liTeMood® LED reading lights have been designed to optimise the retail environment. They feature a multi-phosphor LED with a high CRI (Colour Rendering Index) in the excess of 95 which renders colours more vividly, making magazines more readable, inflight meals more enticing and on board merchandise more attractive for purchase.
Nigel Duncan, CEO of STG Aerospace, added: “Our liTeMood® product range is an affordable, aftermarket, mood lighting solution designed to enhance the passenger experience. At STG Aerospace we ensure airlines receive top quality, highly reliable next generation lighting systems that genuinely deliver an improved passenger experience and improved operational metrics for the airlines. Attention must be paid to providing passengers with a sense of control and personal privacy in their immediate environment while offering airlines a high quality lighting ambience and high CRI levels to optimise their retail environment and increase yields.”
The new range of STG Aerospace’s innovative aircraft cabin lighting products will be on display in a life size model cabin at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg between 5th – 7th April – stand 6B41.
These new products will complement STG Aerospace’s existing range of innovation cabin lighting products: liTeMood®, saf-Tglo® and saf-Tsign®.
STG Aerospace believes it is important to understand the total interaction of all light sources to provide an integrated lighting environment, one that delivers an enhanced passenger experience, increased customer loyalty, a strong airline brand identity and the optimisation of the cabin as a retail environment while still ensuring full compliance with all safety regulations.
United Kingdom | March 31, 2016– STG Aerospace, a leading aircraft cabin interior lighting specialist, is delighted to announce that it has received a Boeing Performance Excellence Award for the seventh consecutive year.
The Boeing Company issues the award annually to recognise suppliers that have achieved superior performance standards in cost, quality and delivery as well as making a significant contribution to Boeing’s ability to meet its own customers’ expectations. This year Boeing recognised 530 suppliers. A recipient of the award every year since 2010, at either Silver or Gold level, STG Aerospace is proud to be one of Boeing’s top performing worldwide partners.
Marcus Williams, Global Sales and Marketing Director at STG Aerospace, commented: “We’re extremely proud that Boeing has again recognised STG Aerospace with a Performance Excellence Award for 2015. Being recognised by Boeing for our operational strength is a testament to our high performance standards and unwavering commitment to exceed our customers’ expectations.”
STG Aerospace has been a Tier 1 supplier to Boeing since 2000, supplying its market-leading saf-Tglo® photoluminescent floor path marking system to the Boeing 737 production line. A low cost, low weight solution for emergency egress marking, saf-Tglo® requires no power source, making the system 100% reliable and eliminating the frequent operational delays and costs associated with electrical-based systems.
Most recently, STG Aerospace has been contracted to supply the latest generation of saf-Tglo®, SuperSeal UltraLite® (SSUL), for the Boeing 737 MAX. Designed to deliver higher efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort, along with lower fuel consumption, the 737 MAX made its first test flight on January 29th of this year.
SSUL is the lightest, highest performing and most discreet photoluminescent system available. Produced in hundreds of colours to perfectly match and even enhance cabin aesthetics, the system is fully EASA and FAA certified for almost every aircraft type.
Meet Joe Leader, new Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX), Chief Executive Officer. IFExpress asked the very busy Joe Leader to answer a couple questions about the future of technology and APEX, and he was kind enough to scribe his response while on a recent flight. Here is what he had to say:
IFExpress: Please give our readers your feelings about the importance of technology for future cabin upgrades in entertainment and communications. Any examples?
Leader: Future cabin upgrades in entertainment and communications will center upon automation and individualized personalization. Airlines have an incredible wealth of data about their customers to provide more individualized service. In-flight entertainment and connectivity solutions provide an amazing opportunity to further enhance passenger experience while boosting airline ancillary revenue. Google recently publicly presented an IFE mock-up. Their philosophy is one of answer, anticipate, and enable. That aligns perfectly with my philosophy of enhancing passenger experience via individual passenger preferences. Delta also unveiled their hand-held solution for flight attendants that shows all key information about every passenger. Advances will allow passengers to be remembered so that any charges for Wi-Fi, their favorite drinks, and food.
IFExpress: At this time, how do you see APEX as a ‘positive force’ in affecting the improvements you noted above?
Leader: APEX has been a steadfast airline passenger experienced focused association for nearly 40-years, but we need to shift gears to a thought-leadership organization that quickens the industry. I have listened to airlines, suppliers, service companies, and studios starved for common standards in our areas of responsibility. We will provide them as APEX bears the highest responsibility to advance these causes. Standards hasten industry adoption of new products. Taking proactive interaction now will make certain that in-flight entertainment does not become the Android Auto versus Apple CarPlay type competitive environment. I should not have to check device compatibility when I purchase my car or airline seat. Airline passengers should be able to leverage any smart phone and smart device with their airline of choice in the future. APEX holds an educational responsibility to enlighten our airlines on how to maximize ancillary revenue in a connected world that places the highest value on insights and returns. Finally, APEX should serve as an educational force for its supplier members so that their steps are more surefooted as they advance.
IFExpress: Portland, Oregon APEX is near, is there a message you have for the attendees?
Leader: We are entering an incredible age renaissance in passenger experience. My fellow CEO at A4A recently highlighted that airlines are spending half of their profits on enhancing passenger experience. APEX will provide the education and technological bridge to more quickly advance our $10 billion a year upgrade industry alongside the billions more in new aircraft passenger experience purchases. With more than 3500 attendees for APEX EXPO, there is no better venue in the world for advancement. We only allow members into EXPO that have been fully vetted. It stands as an appointment-driven show focused upon results. As our industry flies forward, APEX will serve as a beacon to maximize return on investment for all of our members and airlines.
Lastly, we strongly encourage our readers to introduce themselves to Joe at the APEX Conference in Portland – we think you are going to like him. We also note that the world of inflight entertainment is changing, as he eloquently notes in his short interview. Undoubtedly, we think it is going to be a real interesting challenge to develop entertainment and connectivity solutions when today’s passenger brings a big part of the technical connectivity solution onto the plane. APEX may have just gotten it right – the industry will need a new ‘Leader” to adapt to the new environment.
PORTLAND PREVIEW
1. Carlisle – On the heels of the Paris Air Show in June, the launch of the FlightGear Ka/Ku Universal Installation has generated a flood of interest from OEMs, connectivity providers and airlines alike. Carlisle Interconnect Technologies (CarlisleIT) has partnered with Saint Gobain Performance Plastics to design and engineer an industry first and is proud to present the only end-to-end ARINC 791 solution for Ka-, Ku-, and Tri-band SATCOM installations. Its installation made simple; by providing a platform-independent and system-agnostic ARINC 791 solution, CarlisleIT and Saint Gobain are helping airlines and system providers improve their speed-to-market and deliver enhanced next generation SATCOM connectivity to today’s airline passengers. This robust and versatile package contains all of the components required for either retrofit or forward-fit installations on large or regional jet aircraft. Installation fittings are adjustable to cover the complete range of aircraft frame spacings while optimizing the interface loads to the fuselage.
A variety of available radomes tuned to Ka-, Ku-, or Tri-band frequencies fit interchangeably on the same adapter plate. Adapter plates customized to use existing radomes fit interchangeably on the same fuselage structural fittings. Aerodynamic fairings follow the fuselage curvature for each aircraft model without requiring large installation doublers, sealants, or excessive modifications to the aircraft skin. The design creates easier maintenance inspections, longer inspection intervals and lower long-term cost of ownership. Conformance to the ARINC 791 standard also helps future-proof the installation and makes upgrading to next generation multi-axis or low profile antennas easier and faster with commonality of key components across entire fleets.
CarlisleIT’s booth at the APEX Expo at the Oregon Convention Center (September 29-October 1) will feature a flight ready display of the Ka/Ku Universal Installation. Visitors to the booth will have the unique opportunity to discuss system options and sketch customizations on an adapter plate with a team of technical experts. Let’s un-complicate things. Visit Booth 1405 at APEX Expo and let CarlisleIT help you do just that.
2. APEX – APEX sent us a list of Opening day speakers (Sept. 28) and they include new APEX leader – Joe Leader, Sandy Stelling – Managing Director Customer R & D, Alaska Airlines, Werner Lieberherr – CEO, B/E Aerospace, Rainer von Borstel – CEO, Diehl Aerosystems, Devin Liddel – Principal Brand Strategist, TEAGUE, Rajan Datar – Presenter, BBC World News.
3. IFPL – In Portland, you might also want to see the following at IFPL’s booth 1408: “Cost and reliability have been a main focus in our new Breakaway jacks series which delivers a revolutionary cost neutral solution for both the jack and the headset, whilst providing high availability as it leverages our proven and popular Long Life audio jacks plus our new MagSignal technology which prevents broken headsets and jacks with our MagSignal connector. The module is fully compatible with existing headset connector types and our Long Life jack is tested to over 100,000 insertions.” We didn’t know: “Research shows that up to 10% of headsets coming off long-haul flights are not re-usable due to damage, which often results with broken pins left in the sockets rendering the IFE experience useless.” Check it out.
4. Pre-show, and while you are online, check out the New York Times bit about Portland sent to us by a fan. We note the video in the link and it should give our readers a rough idea what Portland is all about. As one speaker noted: “Portland is real serious about being casual.” Check it out!
Lufthansa Systems presents new Lido/eRouteManual product release – A mobile updater will allow wireless data updates to mobile devices, enabling pilots to update their Lido/eRouteManual digital navigation charts anytime, anywhere. This feature is part of the new product release which Lufthansa Systems unveiled at the annual Lido/Navigation User Conference in Zurich. Various Lido navigation solutions are in service worldwide with approximately 100 airlines, around 50 of whom have sent one or more delegates to this year’s conference. The new mobile updater represents a further, significant simplification for using the digital chart solution on mobile devices.
STG Aerospace has secured a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for its liTeMood Light-Emitting Diode (LED) cabin lighting system on the B737NG.
If you are wondering how Airbus will assemble A320’s in Alabama, watch this movie.
Worried about Internet security on the go? Check out Invisibox. Stay secure online on the go. The device is a “sponsored Kickstarter campaign” and will be available starting Feb. 2016 for backers. It features masked Tor traffic, GeoIP, exploit vulnerabilities cancellation, unique device passwords, add blocking, and a free VPN. It also will charge your phone – get in line, it’s about the size of your phone.
“The Martian’ is one of the year’s best movies. Told you so!
A special IFExpress Adios to Ken Lew (UAL, SONY, Rockwell, Boeing, Thales) who retired recently and who will probably be on his way to a European vacation when you read this. Ken wanted to say goodbye to his friends in the IFEC business at APEX but will not return till after the event has finished. Or, wish him the best yourself via email – ken_lew@ieee.org, and you might like read this ‘Olympic Tale’ from his IFE history.
The headset is the most critical part of any IFE system. It defines the quality of audio delivery and its look and feel defines the quality of the Airline. The headset is probably responsible for more passenger complaints, and IFE reliability issues than any other IFE component - so why do most airlines leave its procurement to the catering department?”
