France's Satys Cabin Strengthens Position in Aircraft Interiors

France’s Satys Cabin Strengthens Position in Aircraft Interiors

Satys Cabin designs, manufactures and renovates aircraft cabins for aircraft manufacturers and airlines. The Toulouse-based group has set itself a goal of participating in the decarbonization of business and commercial aviation. The company is a 100% subsidiary of the Satys Industries industrial holding company, along with Satys Aerospace, focused on aircraft painting and surface treatment, and Satys Interior, specialized in rail cabin interiors.

In the summer, Satys Cabin unveiled lightweight bio-sourced panels developed as part of a collaborative research project with manufacturer Daher for its TBM aircraft, under the auspices of CORAC (Conseil pour la Recherche Aéronautique Civile). Satys Cabin also signed an exclusive contract for the design and production of innovative interior fittings for Deutsche Aircraft’s new D328eco regional jet.

Formerly known as AIP, then Satys Interiors Aero, Satys Cabin says it intends to assert itself as a reliable, innovative and competitive player in sustainable aviation, says Christophe Cador, founder and chairman. Currently based in Blagnac, Roissy and Tianjin (China) through a 100%-owned subsidiary, Satys Cabin employs 170 people and plans to keep pace with projected production growth by hiring thirty engineers and production operators at its French sites by the end of the year. Satys Cabin has also been financially restructured and plans to be debt-free by 2023.

“Satys Cabin’s objective is to become, in the short term, ‘the biggest of the small’ in the aircraft cabin fitting market,” added Antoine Gaugler, Satys Cabin’s managing director. Satys Cabin says it possesses a “comprehensive range of expertise enabling it to meet customers’ expectations in all their diversity, including cabin fitting and renovation for business aviation and airlines.” Satys Cabin already has several reference customers. These include Airbus Atlantic, Air France, Daher, Dassault Falcon Service, Royal Air Maroc, Sabena Technics and Airbus Interiors Services (AIS). In this context, it produces panels and furniture, electrical components and air conditioning systems, as well as toilet units. Satys Cabin can design in all fields (mechanical, composite, electrical, water, air), using the latest software systems, such as Catia and Nastran. It also handles qualification, testing (fire, smoke, heat, static, dynamic and decompression tests) and certification (Minor and Major Mods, STC). The company holds all national and international certifications relating to aircraft interior design.

At Roissy, Satys Cabin teams produce cabin furniture and components, including partitions for the different classes (first and business), galleys and lavatory furniture. The Toulouse site is dedicated to cabin trim, electrical equipment, and pressurized air distribution. In Tianjin, China’s aeronautical capital, Satys Cabin makes the composite panels that will equip the aircraft.

“Satys Cabin activities include fitting out TBMs, produced by the Daher aeronautical group in Toulouse, at a rate of around sixty aircraft a year. In partnership, our two entities have designed and developed a new generation of bio-sourced panels,” explained Antoine Gaugler, Satys Cabin managing director. “They are made from cork and sugarcane residue resin and offer the same resistance and durability properties as conventional panels made from fabrics pre-impregnated with phenolic resin and honeycomb. These bio-sourced panels have the great advantage of being much lighter: they generate a mass saving of around 20%, which makes them highly attractive given the impact of weight on fuel consumption.”

“In the wake of the aircraft manufacturers’ successes, we have been working on business aviation fittings, fitting out and renovating cabins for airline fleets, and equipping first and business class environments for Airbus medium- and long-haul aircraft, Satys Cabin’s prospects are very encouraging, while maintaining our number-one priority: on-time delivery of quality products,” concluded Christophe Cador.