Special Mods for New BA 777
Click here for more news / Clique aqui para mais notícias
By Elyse Moody/AviationWeek.com
More than 20 British Airways engineers in Cardiff retrofitted the airline's first new longhaul aircraft since 2001 with special features, including flat bed seats and on-demand inflight entertainment as well as a crew rest area. The Boeing 777-200ER arrived at the BA maintenance base (BAMC) on March 24 for eight weeks of modifications and made its first commercial flight to Washington on June 1.
"These were some of the most complex modifications ever carried out at BAMC but once again [our engineers in Cardiff] have risen to the challenge," Garry Copeland, director of engineering, says in a statement. "Their work will help us to continue to deliver the high levels of customer service our customers expect."
BA engineers spent six months planning and preparing for the modifications, according to the airline. The aircraft now features World Traveller, World Traveller Plus and Club World flat bed seats, as well as BA's audio and video on demand (AVOD) inflight entertainment system. To fit 12 additional Club World seats, engineers reconfigured several of the 777's galleys, toilets and closets.
BA projects that revenue from the dozen extra seats will pay for the purchase and installation of a special flight crew rest area on-board the aircraft, in addition to future financial return.
The specially designed crew rest pod features two business jet-style leather seats, two bunks, an AVOD IFE system and its own toilet; to install the pod, engineers rerouted air conditioning ducting and electrical looms and added under-floor plumbing. They also installed an overhead rest area for cabin crew.
