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Global, News, Singapore

ST Engineering Receives EASA Certification for its Innovative ACCESS Lavatory

  • 05 Jun 2023

ST Engineering announced on 5 June 2023 that its Commercial Aerospace business has received the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for its innovative cabin lavatory solution, ACCESS. The groundbreaking solution is currently designed for installation on the Airbus A320 family and represents a pioneering step towards inclusive air travel.

Despite significant advancements in air travel, existing aircraft lavatories present mobility challenges and anxiety for Passengers with Reduced Mobility (PRMs) due to limited space and non-user-friendly designs. ACCESS addresses these issues, while maintaining valuable seating capacity for airlines. The standout feature of ACCESS is its patented expandable design, achieved through a sliding wall. When deployed, the ACCESS lavatory can be expanded, with a 40% larger internal footprint than a typical narrowbody aircraft lavatory. This additional space can comfortably accommodate a passenger in a wheelchair and a caregiver, offering greater comfort and privacy. ACCESS also incorporates thoughtful accessibility features such as well-positioned grab bars, anti-slip flooring, low sink and toilet pan height, and touchless water faucet and flushing system.

The innovative lavatory has been designed for easy installation, requiring no reduction in seat count or galley space while accommodating existing structural attachment points and electrical and system connections. Once installed, the ACCESS lavatory can be readily deployed and retracted by individual crew members within seconds, aligning with proposed US Department of Transport requirements for increasing lavatory accessibility on narrowbody aircraft.

ST Engineering conducted extensive research during the conceptualisation and design phase, collaborating with aviation experts, suppliers, and individuals with disabilities to gather feedback and improve the lavatory’s design. The prototype was developed in early 2022 and exhibited at the Singapore Airshow that year.

Earlier this year, ST Engineering entered into an LOI with Vaayu Group – an aviation solutions provider based in the United Arab Emirates – to provide the latter with 20 units of ACCESS for installation on Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft, making Vaayu a launch customer for the innovative cabin interior solution.

Ms. Ling Meng Geah, Director of Programme Office, Cabin Interiors and Engineering Solutions at ST Engineering said, “The EASA certification marks a significant milestone for us in bringing to market a viable cabin interior solution that makes air travel more inclusive. As we work towards more certifications and extending the solution to more aircraft platforms, we hope that like-minded operators will jump onboard with the adoption of ACCESS so that as many passengers with reduced mobility as possible can benefit from it.”

Following EASA certification for the A320 aircraft, ST Engineering is now working towards making ACCESS available for the Boeing 737 platform, with certification targeted for 2024.

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