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Airbus Designing Bed-Containing Modules to be Placed in Passenger Jet Cargo Compartments

Remember our deep dive into the parts of the airplane you never get to see, the long-haul crew rest areas? In a few years, passengers may also get to experience what it’s like to catch some shut-eye in a dedicated airplane bed. Airbus and Zodiac Aerospace, a French supplier of airplane interior fittings, have announced they’re expanding the passenger experience down into the cargo hold with a sleeping area for paying fliers. But instead of permanently retrofitting airplanes, the two companies are collaborating on the design of modules that can be slid into an A330 and will contain sleeping berths.

They’re also working up concepts for other living-space-like modules:

And here’s a walkthrough of several of these modules ganged together:

“The new passenger modules,” Airbus writes, “will be easily interchangeable with regular cargo containers during a typical turnaround if required.” The company is betting that long-haul airlines seeking to differentiate their service will buy in, attracted by the flexibility–and the ability to sell what will undoubtedly be a very expensive, if novel, nap.