Lufthansa Technik has unveiled the CelestialStar cabin design concept for Boeing’s 777-9, in collaboration with Boeing Business Jets. The unveiling showcased a design covering more than 3,650 square feet (340 square meters), meticulously tailored to cater to the demands of a new generation of VVIP and head-of-state aircraft at Dubai Airshow.
The CelestialStar “designs combine traditional influences from the Middle East’s cultural heritage with a modern twist,” capturing both Middle Eastern geometric patterns and the “vastness and openness of the sky: a reminiscence not only of the widest cabin among all newly available VVIP aircraft types but also of the diversity in the Middle Eastern philosophy.”
The flagship feature of CelestialSTAR is the Private bed- and bathroom, resembling a cocoon, which, when combined with the adjacent Work&Balance area, forms a multifunctional Private Suite for VVIPs. The suite features projection technology adapted from Lufthansa Technik’s Explorer concept with a cinema screen and wall-sized projections that can include destination imagery and virtual art. The bathroom includes a large rain-massage shower while the bedroom is fitted with a king-size bed. To gain access to nearby exercise or dressing rooms, rotating and sliding lamellae panels can be opened, and these also introduce more daylight into the suite area.
Adjacent to the Private Suite, the Work&Balance area makes optimal use of the cabin’s width. Flexible rotating and sliding seats offer a dynamic space for gatherings, discussions around the VVIP desk, or conversations with additional guests. The CelestialStar lounge greets passengers entering the jet and features a bar and seating to welcome guests. Opening the corridors connects the lounge “almost seamlessly” with the conference and dining area, which also can be used as a majlis, a traditional Middle Eastern gathering and meeting room, according to Lufthansa Technik.
The next section of the aircraft has tables and 11 seats that can move between conference and dining position, with the ability to morph into fine-dining or business-meeting modes. The table also holds retractable monitors that can tie into the aircraft’s airborne connectivity systems. Windows are electrochromatically dimmable.
To accommodate guests, the CelestialStar cabin offers six first-class deluxe suite compartments and 32 seats in an executive area configured as business-class seating. A rear area can add premium-economy seating for additional passengers.
“The BBJ 777-9 is the largest aircraft type newly available on the market and thus simply predestined for its role as successor to the BBJ 747 as the most popular aircraft for heads of state, many of which are among our loyal customers for decades,” said Hassan Gasim, sales director of Middle East VIP and special aircraft services at Lufthansa Technik.