It’s always fun to think about the innovations and advances that will happen in the aviation industry. Especially in the design of corporate jets.
In November, Jeff Burger wrote a compelling commentary that practically begs for a reinvention of the corporate jet. He was opining about how the creativity and vision of the late Steve Jobs at Apple could do wonders for the jet industry. Instead of asking frequent travelers and industry insiders what they want, perhaps airplane designers should be proactive and show business travelers what they have been missing.
So much is made about the incredibly luxurious, world-class flying castles. Transparent floors, in-flight concerts, spiral staircases and fern-lined walls are simply not typical (or feasible) for the vast majority of private and corporate aircraft.
Instead of concentrating on over-the-top interiors that only a handful of billionaires will enjoy, remember how the simple things are often better. Steve Jobs planned his airplane to the most minute detail — famously replacing separate open and close buttons with a single toggle switch. It’s that attention to detail on the typical corporate jets that will be truly innovative.