At this year’s Aircraft Interior’s Expo (AIX), Lufthansa Technik is presenting an entirely new approach to VIP aviation: “The BOW” – a modular narrowbody cabin concept created in exclusive collaboration with Designworks, a BMW Group Company. The concept redefines the idea of shared deluxe travel for executive groups, sports teams, or artists. 

Inspired by the growing demand for flexible, design‑driven private travel solutions, the new cabin architecture brings together two leading brands recognized for engineering excellence, premium craftsmanship, and visionary design. As part of the BMW Group, Designworks brings deep roots in automotive design, combined with extensive experience in the luxury and tech segment, while Lufthansa Technik integrates leading-edge technologies and its proven VIP cabin engineering competence.   

Together, the two companies have created a design platform that showcases the future of VIP travel for groups: The new cabin design functions as a laboratory for modular ideas – a platform that enables early and individualized customer involvement. Layout, suite configurations, color environments and functional zones can be reconfigured – enabling operators to tailor the aircraft precisely to their mission profile. Fewer suites for more open social areas? A larger bar? Greater privacy for high‑level board meetings? All of that is possible. 

Designed for shared exclusivity 

The design target group is not a single VIP passenger, but a group of high-profile users: a corporate board of directors, a professional sports team or a touring band. Each private suite accommodates one or two travelers and can be used for private meetings or shared dining. Every suite includes dedicated personal storage – ideal for items such as a musical instrument, professional equipment, or personal items – while optional movable partitions allow the cabin atmosphere to shift from a cocoon like privacy mode to open social interaction. 

All suites can be closed individually, and selected compartments feature automated sections that can be raised or lowered to adjust privacy levels. This flexibility allows operators to configure up to 28 passengers on board without compromising exclusivity or comfort.

A sequence of distinctive spaces 

The cabin design is structured into several signature zones:

Reception & lobby

A welcoming entrance area sets the tone with curved architectural forms, premium materials, integrated tech solutions, and a hospitality driven bar environment. Transforming elements such as a gradient screen or a foldable, interactive service table, together with other design-focused touchpoints, convey a sense of luxury and craftsmanship.

Transformative lounge

The central lounge features two multifunctional curved touch screen displays and a large presentation table that can be transformed into four segments with individual tables. This area transitions seamlessly from a collaborative working space to fine dining, reflecting the needs of business teams, or coaching staff. The table incorporates Lufthansa Technik’s Hidden Touch technology, whose core innovation lies in the remarkable fusion of a high‑quality look and feel with seamless, intuitive functionality. It allows passengers to operate a wide range of cabin functions through a sleek touch panel that completely disappears into any interior surface when not in use.

Private suites

The “BOW Suite” design theme – characterized by arcs, soft shapes, progressive forms, and premium materials – evokes a high level of wellbeing while integrating Lufthansa Technik technologies discreetly into the furniture. Acoustic shields, mood lighting, scent options, and subtle storage solutions create a balanced environment of luxury and functionality.

Integrated cabin technologies for a seamlessly orchestrated experience

The new cabin design also incorporates Lufthansa Technik’s »nice« system (»network integrated cabin equipment«) , seamlessly integrating cutting‑edge technology throughout the cabin: The Red Dot Design Award–winning Hidden Touch displays, inductive charging modules, curved OLED screens, next‑generation remote‑control solutions and special lighting effects, are harmonized into the interior architecture to elevate service, functionality and aesthetics. The innovative and user-centric »nice intellitable«, for example, blends high-definition touchscreen functionality directly into the high-quality haptic surface of a folding tray table.

At the heart of the sound system, Lufthansa Technik’s Red Dot Design Award–winning Omni‑Fi speakers deliver a fully immersive sound experience. Their ultra‑slim form factor – enabled by exclusive Ring‑mode Converter/Transducer technology – ensures optimal omnidirectional sound dispersion while blending discreetly into any high‑end surface.

The network‑integrated cabin management platform »nice« enables effortless control of even the most sophisticated onboard systems. Passengers can intuitively manage lighting, climate, seating, and a wide range of multimedia functions through a modular, flexible interface that integrates naturally into the cabin’s exquisite design language.

“With ‘The BOW’, we are elevating group centric VIP travel to a completely new level,” says Fabian Nagel, Vice President Sales VIP & Special Aircraft Services at Lufthansa Technik. “This concept offers customers unprecedented flexibility and allows operators to tailor every mission with an experience that is both highly functional and luxurious. ‘The BOW’ also creates a unique opportunity to experience the full suite of our products directly interfacing with the VIPs in one coherent environment. By integrating these technologies seamlessly into the cabin concept, we give operators a tangible impression of what our full portfolio of unparallel technology and innovation can deliver – from enhanced comfort and functionality to a consistent, high‑quality design language that elevates the entire onboard experience.”

Lufthansa Technik will present details of “The BOW” at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg from 14 to 16 April at booth #6A90, hall B6.

About BMW Group Designworks:

Designworks is a design and creative consultancy operating at the intersection of design, technology, and innovation. Acquired by the BMW Group in 1995, Designworks enables its parent company, as well as internationally renowned clients beyond the automotive industry, to grow their businesses through its design and consulting services. With studios in Munich, Los Angeles, and Shanghai, and clients including BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce, Lufthansa Technik, John Deere, Shell, and Siemens Trains, Designworks is deeply immersed in a broad cross-section of industries. The studio was founded in 1972 in Malibu, California, by Chuck Pelly and is currently led by Anders Warming.