Skip to main content

Airbus reveals futuristic plane with panoramic views, ‘personalized zones’

Airbus Concept Plane: Cabin
Image used with permission by copyright holder

By the year 2050, snagging the window seat on an airplane will be a thing of the past — at least if Airbus’ vision of the future becomes a reality. In a lead-up to the Paris Airshow “Le Bourget,” the aircraft maker revealed today its plans for a “futuristic” flying machine, aptly dubbed the “Concept Cabin,” that includes “bionic” design, panoramic views, and customizable zones to satisfy even the most high-maintenance of passengers.

“The aircraft’s bionic structure mimics the efficiency of bird bone which is optimized to provide strength where needed, and allows for an intelligent cabin wall membrane which controls air temperature and can become transparent to give passengers open panoramic views,” reads the press release.

Recommended Videos

In the Airbus Concept Cabin, “personalized zones” will replace the various class-based cabin sections we all know and loath. These sections will offer “tailored levels of experience” that go beyond expanded leg room and complimentary champagne.

Airbus Concept Plane: Golf
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Take the “smart tech zone,” for example, which has a “chameleon style offering” for every  fliers’ needs, from “simple to complete luxury service.” Or the “vitalizing zone,” which is “all about wellbeing and relaxation.” In this section passengers will breath “vitamin and antioxidant enriched air,” and enjoy “mood lighting, aromatherapy and acupressure treatments.” The Concept Cabin could even include an “interactive zone” with “virtual pop up projections” that can be customized “to whichever social scene you want to be in, from holographic gaming to virtual changing rooms for active shoppers.”

This all sounds mind-blowingly fantastic, especially compared to the bovine-esque conditions we’re all shuttled around in these days. And with nearly 40 years to get there, it’s entirely possible that this could become a reality for travelers of the future. But considering it’s still a shock if a flight comes with WiFi, we have a hard time believing such luxuries could actually become an affordable reality.

Check out more photos below and head here, “The Future by Airbus” for more about the Airbus Concept Cabin.

Andrew Couts
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
GM recalls 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EVs for being too quiet
Front three quarter view of the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV.

Standards and regulations regarding the sounds produced by vehicles are usually associated with annoyingly loud mufflers, honking, or even alarms.

But when it comes to the sounds coming from a number of new 2025 Chevrolet Equinox electric vehicles (EVs), General Motors believes the problem is that they're actually not loud enough.

Read more
Ram postpones electric pickup to 2026 as Ramcharger plug-in hybrid takes the limelight
ram pickup postponed 2590768 picwrevwfy xlarge

It seems to be yet another sign that hybrids are leading the charge forward as sales of electric vehicles (EVs) slow.

Giant auto group Stellantis is reshuffling the planned launches of two much-awaited Ram models. The brand’s first electric pickup truck has been postponed to 2026, while the Ramcharger plug-in hybrid (PHEV) will take center stage next year.

Read more
Waymo’s robotaxis are safer than human-driven vehicles, study says
A Waymo robotaxi picking up a passenger.

Love them or hate them, but robotaxis have certainly been making headlines in 2024. And beyond the glamorous, sci-fi-inspired marketing around Tesla’s recently unveiled Cybercab robotaxi, safety has remained, in one way or another, a recurring theme.

Earlier this year, a survey revealed a majority of the U.S. public, or 68%, brought up safety concerns when asked what they thought about having self-driving vehicles (SDVs) on public roads. Yet within that majority, more than half either believe that SDV safety issues can be addressed or that SDVs will actually be safer than humans.

Read more