Will Galleys Ever Change?

After 40 years of the same galley design, SPICE brings a revolution

Those working in the cabin world may be aware of SPICE, an Airbus project tasked to update aircraft galleys with more efficient architecture after a number of airlines complained about galleys being stuck in the 1960s.

SPICE galleys keep today’s standard tray and drawer sizes, but use a new architecture for delivery onboard and on the ground. Studies conducted in conjunction with airlines show that this new architecture can save over 500kg of weight on a widebody aircraft, and save enough galley footprint to gain between two and three additional economy seats.

SPICE also brings modern functionalities to the galley, including ergonomic aids for a cabin crew, as well as a full plug & plug configurability of inserts.

The SPICE Project is now at an advanced stage, having proved that costs for airlines operating fleets with different galley types are considerably lower than the revenue benefits and cost savings that the galley brings

Also proven in the Airbus studies were crew productivity improvements. During a test where 194 economy passengers were served, SPICE demonstrated that service preparation times could be reduced between 50 and 75%, meaning that passengers would be served much quicker.

Much progress has been achieved with caterers, demonstrating that SPICE equipment can be handled within the existing catering infrastructure. What remains to be accomplished is full-scale testing to prove aircraft loading times.

Once this stage of the project is complete over the course of this summer, all the elements will be in place for the industry to evaluate a key industry opportunity … embrace the potential benefits of change, or to continue to use an increasingly unsuitable system now more than 40 years old?

For more information contact:
Daniel Percy
Manager Marketing Aircraft Interiors
daniel.percy@airbus.com