Air Travel Gets a BMW Touch

As many of you know, BMW’s first activities were strongly tied to the aviation industry, also hinted by the company logo that points to a white propeller on a blue sky (controversial, we know). Now a small part of BMW is getting back to its roots, but not in making aircraft engines as you might be tempted to think.

In fact, Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer presented the new generation of its executive jets in Europe, which feature passenger cabins and cockpits that were created in the design studios of BMW Group DesignworksUSA.

BMW Group’s subsidiary therefore developed the interior design for Embraer’s Phenom 100 and the Phenom 300 jets. The task, however, was not to transfer an automobile design style to the aircraft sector.

The Phenom cockpit currently provides the pilots with the most generous amount of space on the market. Baggage compartments, which are integrated into the side walls and beneath the seats, are some of Phenom’s reason to brag about now.

“We set our sights very high,” Embraer’s Vice President Colin Steven, said in a release. “The task for DesignworksUSA was to provide the best in pilot comfort, fulfill the requirements of a modern business passenger and combine premium aesthetics with superior design quality.”

The design of the Phenom jets boasts an entrance to the cabin that is tailored to the human body and broadens out at shoulder height, integrated armrests, new flooring design, as well as new color and materials concept, with seven options to choose from.

“Exploring the extent of the possibilities for style and design, whether in the automobile industry or the aircraft industry, is the starting point for true innovation. That is why the Phenom project has been so important for our studio,” added Laurenz Schaffer, President of BMW Group DesignworksUSA.

According to BMW, 100 jets have already been delivered to customers, while over 600 orders are waiting to be processed.