The Need for Inclusivity:

Air travel is a marvel of modern engineering, connecting people and cultures across the globe. However, the experience can be daunting for individuals with visual impairments, who often face challenges in accessing critical information within the aircraft cabin. From locating emergency exits to understanding the layout of the lavatories, these tasks can be cumbersome and sometimes impossible without proper accommodations.

Recognizing the importance of inclusivity, the aviation industry is reevaluating its approach to accessibility. The push for mandatory Braille placards on aircraft represents a commitment to ensuring that all passengers, regardless of their abilities, can enjoy a safe and comfortable journey.

The Impact on Passenger Independence:

Imagine the empowerment that comes with being able to read and understand crucial information independently, even at 35,000 feet above the ground. For passengers with visual impairments, Braille placards could mean the difference between dependence on others for assistance and the freedom to navigate the aircraft with confidence.

Mandatory Braille placards would provide essential information such as seat numbers, emergency exit locations, and restroom directions, ensuring that individuals with visual impairments can easily orient themselves within the cabin. This newfound independence contributes to a more positive and inclusive travel experience, fostering a sense of equality among passengers.

Addressing Safety Concerns:

Critics may express concerns about the potential impact of Braille placards on safety protocols, arguing that adding tactile information might clutter or confuse emergency signage. However, advocates argue that with thoughtful design and strategic placement, Braille placards can seamlessly integrate into the existing safety infrastructure without compromising the clarity of information.

In fact, by making emergency information more accessible to all passengers, including those with visual impairments, the aviation industry can enhance overall safety. In emergency situations, every second counts, and ensuring that everyone on board can quickly and accurately comprehend safety instructions is paramount.

The Future of Accessible Air Travel:

As the call for mandatory Braille placards gains momentum, the aviation industry stands at the threshold of a more inclusive era. Embracing accessibility initiatives not only caters to the needs of passengers with visual impairments but also sets a precedent for the broader travel industry to prioritize inclusivity.

In a world where the sky is no longer the limit, the push for mandatory Braille placards on aircraft exemplifies our collective commitment to creating a world where everyone, regardless of ability, can soar to new heights. As we navigate the skies together, let us ensure that the journey is accessible to all, leaving no passengers behind.

Larchfield Aerospace & Graphics manufactures Braille placards in-house, offering good price points and fast turnaround, please drop us a line if you want to find out more.

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By utilizing captivating designs on the exterior of commercial aircraft, tourism organizations can tap into a unique and impactful promotional strategy, In this blog, we will explore the remarkable benefits of using aircraft livery for promotional tourism.

1. Unparalleled Brand Visibility, Aircraft livery offers unparalleled brand visibility to tourism organizations. A well-designed livery acts as a flying billboard, capturing the attention of passengers, airport visitors, and people residing near flight paths. With an increasing number of travelers taking to the skies, the potential reach of such branding is vast. The distinctiveness and scale of aircraft livery make it a powerful tool for creating brand awareness and recognition.
2. Targeted Audience Reach, Airlines often partner with tourism boards and destination marketing organizations to feature unique livery designs that showcase popular tourist destinations. This approach allows for targeted audience reach, as the aircraft can be strategically deployed on routes connecting key markets. Passengers on these flights are exposed to the captivating visuals, generating curiosity and interest in visiting the highlighted destination.
3. Emotional Connection and Memorable Experiences, Aircraft livery has the potential to create an emotional connection with passengers. By featuring iconic landmarks, cultural motifs, or natural wonders of a particular destination, the livery design instills a sense of wanderlust and adventure. Passengers are transported mentally even before embarking on their journey, enhancing their overall travel experience. These visually striking planes create lasting memories that can inspire repeat visits or word-of-mouth recommendations.
4. Buzz and Viral Marketing, A well-executed aircraft livery design can generate significant buzz and go viral on social media platforms. Passengers, aviation enthusiasts, and travelers love capturing unique moments and sharing them online. When an aircraft with a captivating livery design takes flight, it becomes a focal point for sharing, thereby amplifying the visibility of the tourism brand and destination. The potential for organic, user-generated promotion through social media cannot be underestimated.
5. Partnerships and Collaborations, Aircraft livery provides an excellent opportunity for partnerships and collaborations between airlines, tourism organizations, and other stakeholders. By featuring multiple logos or designs, livery can showcase joint efforts to promote a destination, special events, or travel campaigns. Such collaborations enhance brand credibility, expand promotional reach, and demonstrate solidarity within the tourism industry.

Conclusion, In an era where capturing attention is paramount, aircraft livery offers a unique and powerful promotional tool for the tourism industry. With its unparalleled brand visibility, targeted audience reach, ability to create emotional connections, potential for buzz and viral marketing, and facilitation of partnerships, livery helps tourism organizations soar to new heights in their promotional endeavors. By embracing this innovative approach, destinations can inspire travelers to explore, creating a win-win scenario for both the tourism industry and eager globetrotters.

If you want to find out more or have any questions then please get in contact here.

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As an importer within the EU can I accept a UK CAA Form 1? Answer: Yes.

As a newly approved (UK CAA) Part 21G Organisation we occasionally find that some of our EU domicile clients state that they are unable to accept a UK CAA Form 1 release certificate and that they can only accept an EASA Form 1. This is not true.

The European Union Trade and Cooperation Agreement states; “The importing Party shall recognise the production certification and production oversight system of the exporting Party since the system is considered sufficiently equivalent to the system of the importing Party” (source: Article 21 of Annex 30 of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement).

EASA POA (as Third Country Approval) for UK goods to be accepted in the EU

The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement enables the EU to recognise the POA issued by the UK CAA for categories of products that are already approved for production (as of 31 December 2020).

UK POA for EU goods to be accepted in the UK

The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement enables the UK to recognise the POA issued by the EASA CAA for categories of products that are already approved for production (as of 31 December 2020).

Export to the EU

The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement recognises the CAA Form 1 for the export of new parts, appliances, engines, and propellers and CAA Form 52 for the export of new complete aircraft.

Therefore, there is no need for UK-based organisations to hold an EASA Third Country Production Organisation Approval. Consequently, EASA has not issued any Third Country POA to organizations in the UK and as such, there are no EASA.UK.21G.XXXX approvals. (Source: CAA and EASA) 

In addition to this agreement, the CAA has many other bilateral agreements in place with; the USA, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Singapore, Switzerland, Iceland, China, Norway, and Taiwan with the aim to help reduce duplication of activity and for mutual acceptance of these certificates (for example, Authorised Form 1 Release Certificates).

Sources and useful links:

https://www.caa.co.uk/Our-work/About-us/International/International-cooperation/

https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/UK-EASA%20TIP.pdf

https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/faq/122921

https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/brexit

If you have any questions relating to this topic, then please contact our Quality Manager, Ed Greenhalgh (ed.greenhalgh@larchfield.net).

For more information on our services click here or contact the sales team, at sales@larchfield-aerospace.com

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This is a massive milestone for us and something we have worked hard to achieve over the last 6 months, while we always had solutions in place being able to supply our manufactured goods and release form1 certification in-house streamlines our services and speeds up the whole process.

What is Form1 Certification?

The CAA Form 1 is the Authorised Release Certificate released by a POA holder for stating that a product, a part, or a component was manufactured in accordance with approved/not approved design data.

We very much welcome our customers new and old to come and speak to us about adding Form1 release to orders, the process is very simple and cost-effective.

Here you will find Larchfield on the list of approved organisations

Our facility is based in the southeast of England, with a capability of worldwide reach. This provides us with a convenient location close to Heathrow, Gatwick, Biggin Hill and London City Airport. As a result, our team of installation and graphics consultants can be rapidly deployed anywhere in the world.

We like to maintain a close relationship with our customers around the globe. Whether it is directly with an airline, private owners, or through maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) facilities. We will always be on standby to help.

Whether you have a long-term aircraft livery or a one-off promotional graphics project, our team have the capability to take on any size of the project that you may have. We can also provide consultation on aircraft-approved materials and information to comply with national and international aviation authorities.

If you have any further questions please reach out to us using the contact form here.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

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That might be in the form of a short term promotional advertising campaign or reviving something that has seen better days.

The beauty of using vinyl is that it’s fast…

Compared to painting it’s quick to manufacture, it’s super fast to install and it’s very durable. Take a look at this little promotional video.

Our highly skilled UK based graphics installers are very adept at working alongside engineering teams at many locations around the world.

Within 1-2 days it’s very possible to completely change the visual appearance of an aircraft, but it’s also easy to carry out minor changes too.

An efficient way to get your point across is to use promotional graphics. Millions of passengers pass through airports worldwide, and therefore catching their eye is a great asset for the opportunity. In fact, many airlines are now using this opportunity to advertise both internally and externally on their aircraft.

The dedicated Larchfield project team can take your aircraft livery re-branding project from the early design stage, right through to applying the finished product, ready for rollout. Or should you just require the graphics, we can supply these quickly in both paint masks, or vinyl decals using approved aircraft film. Additionally, we offer full end to end management including application services anywhere in the world, we can even help you locate a suitable hanger and equipment using our extensive aerospace connections.

We are always here and happy to help you choose the best option for your particular scheme and make the right choice.

Why not give us a call today to discuss your next project with one of our friendly sales team members. or drop us an email outlining your requirements.

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Over the years we have developed and tweaked our manufacturing processes and also listened to our customers along with the aviation market this meant thinking outside the box and moving from supplying singular placards in volume (which we still do) but creating a whole new product in the form of an entire interior placard marking kit.

Our aim was to create a product that has everything in a single box required for refit, including the galley and on the very rare occasion cockpit.

Over the years we have complied many kits for all aircraft types for both interior and exterior of the aircraft, ranging from Embraer, Airbus and Boeing and many smaller aircraft types.

We work closely with our customers in most instances using ICP information to create a PDF catalogue which is signed off before sending to print, all placards have an individual part number for ordering replacements along with a mater part number for repeat ordering of full kits in the future.

In most cases when new customers come to us with a request we will already have a catalogue ready to view and once the PDF’s are agreed manufacturing takes around 5-7 days.

Often there are small changes required which might add a day or so to the total time but this really depends on the speed of interaction with the client.

It’s safe to say there’s not much Larchfield cannot do when it comes to the creation and manufacturing of placards, we even have a large library of dual language kits ready to go and it’s ever-growing, including Braille.

If you have any questions about interior or exterior kits and would like to review any of our catalogues then please reach out to us: sales@larchfield-aerospace.com or continue browsing our website.

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ABC International was appointed to carry out the EASA Part21J design who in turn partnered with Larchfield for the manufacturing and installation of this masterpiece.

The installation was carried out during a very challenging part of the pandemic when travel was still possible through safe corridors inside the main Airbus facility at Toulouse in France.

It took just four of Larchfields best installation teams to layout and install the livery which was all undertaken in time for Flynas to take delivery of this brand new A321 Neo.

This is a great example of Larchfields ability to carry out these types of installations even in the most challenging times keeping our customers’ expectations at the forefront of our drive at all times.

Here’s a little bit of information about ABC International – ABC INTERNATIONAL is an EASA approved Design Organization (EASA.21J.529) that specialized in “cabin revamping/conversion” activities and A/C transition services. Our products are oriented to support Airlines, Lessors and MROs and are specifically designed to ease transition workloads and support interior revamping in a time and cost-effective manner.

Larchfield Aerospace & Graphics pride themselves on being able to turn around these projects in a very short space of time anywhere in the world.

We always hold a good amount of approved aircraft materials in stock and a dedicated team big enough to cope and small enough to care.

If you have any questions surrounding aircraft livery installation then please feel free to reach out to us today on 01732 369757 or email sales@larchfield-aerospace.com

We very much look forward to hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to work with you on your next project.

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It doesn’t matter if you’re re-branding de-branding or whitetail blanking leased aircraft.

Approved aircraft vinyl is without any doubt the fastest & most cost-effective way to make that change.

Have a look at our very simple infographic explaining the process in less time than it takes to make a coffee.

If you need to change the visual appearance of an aircraft fast, then contact us right now on: +44 1732 369757 or email sales@larchfield-aerospace.com

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However, of late many things seem to be moving forward positively with a bright future ahead for travel.

We had been lucky enough to be selected to partner with ABC International, to manufacture and install a special livery for Flynas to promote the Year Of Arabic Caligraphy.

There were a few small technical challenges with travel but we were able to make it to the Airbus facility in Toulouse France whereby we entered a safe corridor and safely installed the wonderful livery using 3M vinyl.

Needless to say, both ABC & Flynas are over the moon with the finished result which looks amazing and has been cathing aviation enthusiast eyes all around the world.

The project was in conjunction with the ministry of culture aiming at driving tourism to the United Arab Emirates, below is a write up from Arab news.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture and air carrier Flynas have started a partnership for the “Year of Arabic Calligraphy” initiative launched by the ministry.

The Saudi airline has decorated its 12th Airbus A320neo with the initiative’s logo.

The plane was part of an agreement signed with Airbus in 2017 to purchase 120 A320neo aircraft, with a total value of SR32 billion ($8.531 billion).

Bander Al-Mohanna, CEO of Flynas, said: “We are proud to be one of the participants in the ‘Year of Arabic Calligraphy’ initiative, and to cooperate with the Ministry of Culture in this pioneering initiative that aims to highlight Arabic calligraphy as a distinct art that embodies the richness and aesthetics of the Arabic language.”

He said by placing the logo of the “Year of Arabic Calligraphy” on one of the aircraft, the company aimed to educate passengers about “the beauty and importance of Arabic calligraphy and to consolidate pride in Arab identity.”

If you have a project you would like to discuss then get in touch with us directly today.

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Our customers enjoy a variety of specialist services provided by Larchfield with super fast turnaround times for manufacturing and production.

Capabilities include exterior livery rebranding using approved aircraft vinyl and films, white tail livery de-branding solutions, technical markings with a full multi-lingual catalogue, flag and registration sets, temporary or long-term.

Exterior advertising projects from small 1 meter square to full scale 400m2 vinyl wrapping can be completely manged, manufactured & installed by Larchfield Aerospace & Graphics.

Interior services include multi-lingual placards, from single placards to full bespoke aircraft sets for all aircraft types, including Airbus, Boeing, Embraer and ATR to name a few. We are able to manufacture Galley placards, customised Covid-19 safety signage and Braille solutions, to compliment exterior advertising campaigns Larchfield can bring the brand design into the aircraft throughout the cabin using aircraft approved and tested materials.

Cargo bay markings are available once again in either full comprehensive kits or bespoke single unit items with minimum order values.

Design & certification services are provided by utilizing our longstanding approved EASA/CAA partners, this means we can efficiently manage projects from start to finish, creating, manuals, drawings and Part21J Engineering orders from a single project management point.

If you would like to know more information about any of the Aircraft transition services or indeed any of our other services then please feel free to browse the website by clicking the link.

For any general enquires, request for quotes or additional information please do not hesitate to contact us by email or phone our office is currently operating a reduced opening time service however people are at hand to answer your questions beyond the office hours of 9am – 4pm GMT.

We are ready to help and look forward to speaking to you soon.

Stay well & safe.

Larchfield Team.

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