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Galleys with a hint of SPICE
Are aircraft galleys long overdue for a complete overhaul?
It has been said that coming onboard an aircraft is a bit like being welcomed into a restaurant at the kitchen. To be fair, it is hard to avoid passengers boarding through a galley. But the fact that galleys have hardly changed in 40 years means that we could do a lot to improve them, and to enhance passengers’ first impression of the airline on-board product. It comes as no surprise that Airbus has been hearing from their customers that the time is long past for an improvement in galley technology. Key issues that are raised for improvement include galley weight, space utilisation, and ergonomics. And there is a long wish list for new galley features. Things like easier reconfiguration, improved chilling, less complicated latching, better inventory control, quicker service times, and not forgetting better aesthetics. Needless to say, coming up with a concept which offers all those benefits is not an easy task, given that today’s catering solutions have become part of the DNA of our industry. Imagining a feasible alternative requires creativity, effort, and stamina. However, Airbus has been working hard with various partners
across the industry to overcome the key hurdles and solve today’s problems. The result of several years of design and testing is a new standard of galley system called SPICE (SPace Innovative Catering Equipment).
For airlines, weight saving is one of the key benefits of SPICE, saving around 600kg on a typical widebody or double that on an A380. This is largely made possible by the use of lightweight boxes weighing as little as 6kg for food storage. Today’s galleys have little modular design incorporated into the relationship between ovens, trolleys, coffee makers and other equipment. As a result, space is wasted above the counter. SPICE uses an efficient modular design, enabling enough improvement in space utilisation at a typical rear galley complex to yield an additional 2 to 3 economy seats.
The modular design also brings true Plug & Play functionality to Galley Inserts (GAINs), enabling replacement of any GAIN type with another within 5 minutes, in any galley location. This enables airlines to quickly configure and re- configure their galleys, to adapt to changing
tastes in food or provide for specific culinary requirements on key routes. For lessors, this enables quick and inexpensive adaptation of galleys when moving planes between airlines, whilst for equipment suppliers the functionality can bring improvements in lead-times. Cabin attendants have long identified the ergonomic difficulties of working in today’s galleys. Improved ergonomics is integral to the SPICE design, with a device to remove lifting, a solution to trolleys getting stuck in galley bays, and equipment to speed up service preparation. During service, the top of the SPICE cart will offer a workspace which is more adapted to the ergonomic needs of the crew.
Airbus’ intention with SPICE is to make it an industry-wide standard, available for all airlines and for application on all aircraft types. To ensure that this happens, Airbus has been working with airlines, caterers, and equipment suppliers. Key questions which have been addressed include the changes to In-Flight Service processes, the impact on operations in the catering chain, and the impact on aircraft Turn-Around-Time.
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