Galley OEMs Improve Retrofit Options And Maintainability

Galley OEMs are offering a veritable buffet of customized and off-the-shelf designs as changes evolve in onboard service and cabin configurations. From a design and engineering view, consultants, designers and galley OEMs note different trends.

“I think the major trend in galleys is toward smaller footprints,” says Gary Weissel, managing officer of Tronos Aviation Consulting. He cites the rear-most galleys installed in narrowbody cabins as examples.

“Those galleys have gone from full to half-width as lavatories have been installed in the space—once used exclusively for galleys—in order to add another row of seating in high-density configurations,” he says. “On widebody airliners, the only current innovations I have seen are new galley inserts, including better convection ovens and beverage makers.”

David Keller, director of engineering at Bucher Leichtbau AG, says reduced inflight food and beverage services have prompted the OEM to redesign galleys with more compact storage systems and multifunctional features. “This allows airlines to adapt to evolving service models while maintaining efficiency and regulatory compliance,” he explains. “As catering concepts shift, we’ve introduced such innovations as self-service areas and flexible storage options.”

Keller says that Bucher incorporates advanced composites, high-strength aluminum alloys and innovative synthetic materials to achieve lightweight, yet reliable, galley construction. “Additionally, we use the latest technologies regarding materials and components for mechanical elements, power distribution or water systems in our galleys,” he says.

Ray Hough, director of business development for interior structures at Collins Aerospace, says  some of the most notable galley design changes include the use of lightweight materials, advanced additive manufacturing of galley structures and increased modularity.

“The incorporation of advanced composites and aluminum materials into galleys, along with a focused approach on simplified design, translates to significant weight savings and, in turn, fuel savings and reduced CO₂ emissions,” Hough says. “The use of more durable additive and composite materials in galley structures not only increases product lifespan but also requires fewer components. They are more resistant to the daily wear and tear typically experienced on a commercial aircraft—curtailing both frequency of maintenance and time spent on wing for repairs.”

Hough cites Collins’ STARLight structural material, which was introduced at the 2024 Aircraft Interiors Expo, as an example. “STARLight’s sustainable, lightweight composite structures easily integrate into many cabin interior spaces, including galleys,” he says. “The structures are additive-manufactured, lightweight and thinner than traditional structures, not only greatly reducing the overall weight of the product but also providing customizable space between structural stiffeners in order to add thermal materials to optimize energy use and power consumption.”

Hough predicts that STARLight will be “the next significant addition” to Collins’ galley products of the future, offering “sustainable impacts beyond aircraft emissions and fuel consumption, including a significant reduction in material waste during the additive build process.”

Hough also notes that as next-generation long-haul narrowbody aircraft come on stream, galley design will need to evolve even further to meet the catering demands on routes historically operated by twin-aisle aircraft. That, he says, will be particularly true in premium cabins where passengers will expect service levels comparable with widebody aircraft.

“Flights scheduled for anywhere from 6-11 hr. are going to need enough storage space for two meals, ample options for snacks, premium beverage service and more,” Hough says. “Current narrowbody galley configurations will be severely challenged to effectively handle catering for these types of routes without sacrificing rows of seating, which could have a significant impact on airline revenue.”

Inflight service trends have at least partially encouraged Boeing EnCore Interiors to develop modular products, such as the Adaptable Galley System (AGS), says Doug Backhus, vice president of cabin, modifications and maintenance of Boeing Global Services.

Launched in 2021 as a line-fit option and a retrofit for the Boeing 737NG and 737 MAX families, the AGS offers enhanced features compared with other existing modular galley systems, Backhus says.

“The Boeing EnCore Interiors AGS includes a variety of modules within the upper and lower galley compartments,” he notes. “As examples, upper modules consist of standard containers and miscellaneous compartments with additional ‘optionality’ for electrical inserts and plumbing. Lower galley compartment offerings generally consist of various cart options.” Backhus stresses that the AGS is configured to meet the needs of the “vast majority of all flight missions.”

The AGS has been designed to accommodate prequalified systems that have met certification and testing requirements.

“Prequalified options offer shorter lead times with aftermarket conversion kits—and corresponding service bulletins—that can be swiftly installed and certified by Boeing Global Services or another integrator designated by the customer,” Backhus says. “This allows for easy galley conversion and supports low-cost carriers and leasing companies with economical and flexible options.”

He explains that customers can add or remove plumbing and ovens and more quickly adapt to inflight trends, such as a shift toward more dry galleys in narrowbody aircraft. “It also allows for easy conversion if customer preferences change, such as the need for ovens to support meals on single-aisle airplanes flying longer routes,” he says.

From the standpoint of sustainability, Backhus reports that the modular design is helping customers retrofit existing galleys instead of overhauling the entire galley.

“Designing and procuring a galley often involves multiple stakeholders and functions across an airline,” he says. “We continue to improve upon our galley reconfiguration studio, offering a new online tool customers can use to configure their galleys and draw up concepts before even starting a conversation with Boeing EnCore.”

Backhus adds that Boeing shared a galley concept at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in May that helps customers see how artificial intelligence (AI) could one day improve inventory management and optimize catering systems to reduce waste and save money.

“Imagine a scenario where airlines are tracking consumption by flight,” he remarks. “AI could be used to better match catering supplies with demand.”

Sebastian Tivig, a cabin specialist at Diehl Aviation, says the company is installing its air refrigeration unit (ARU) directly into its galleys.

Unlike conventional refrigerators, Tivig says the ARU is an intelligent, self-monitoring system at half the weight of competing units. “It has been designed to be a very capable local air chiller,” he adds. For example, Tivig says a single ARU can cool more than six trolleys at once using intelligent cooling controls along with automatically regulated fan speeds to increase efficiency for an optimized cooling performance. “As a result, additional boost fans and heavy sliding tables for heavy chillers are unnecessary.”

However, as Tivig points out, the integration of the ARU required some adjustments to the galley’s design due to the unit’s added weight and compressor-generated noise. For example, larger air channels made from honeycomb materials have been structurally integrated into the galley in place of traditional ducting. “This increases galley stiffness, allows for thinner walls, reduces weight by quite a bit and optimizes cooling capacity,” he says.

Along this line, Diehl Aviation also incorporated vacuum-insulated panels for improved cooling and insulation. “These panels offer superior performance while being significantly smaller and lighter than conventional insulation materials,” Tivig explains. “We also will be the first to integrate real glass doors and real glass insulating doors on a commercial line-fit aircraft galley, starting with Qantas’ Project Sunrise. The temperature-insulated real glass has never been done before.”

Asked about Diehl Aviation’s weight-savings approaches to galley retrofits, Tivig says that although core materials have not changed due to cost considerations, the focus is on optimizing load distribution, better analysis methods and changes in how the galleys are built. “This allows us to use thinner honeycomb or aluminum panels, which reduces overall weight,” he says. “However, these optimizations do come at a premium, and not all airlines are prepared to invest in these enhancements.”

Julie Imbert, marketing director at Safran Cabin, says that as new generations of aircraft enter the global fleet, the OEM’s focus has been on integrating new materials, manufacturing processes and design optimizations to create lighter and more efficient galleys.

“We are also preparing for connectivity, starting with our NUVO commercial inserts, which will focus on health monitoring and maintenance process optimization,” she says. “By incorporating connectivity enablers into our galleys, we equip smart products with sensors that generate valuable data that provides actionable insights. This advancement in galley design aligns with our goal of creating a connected, data-driven environment that meets the needs of airlines for operational and service excellence.”

Imbert points out that Safran Cabin also offers an integrated e-panel. Designed with smart sensors and actuations, she says the e-panel simplifies galley operations and is built with future connectivity in mind. “This allows airlines to easily upgrade and integrate new technologies into their galleys as their needs evolve,” she says.

Along with health monitoring, Safran Cabin is designing its galleys to be more maintenance-friendly. One key innovation, Imbert notes, involves the replacement of traditional metal pipes in the water system with plastic tubing. “This not only simplifies maintenance and replacement but also offers several advantages,” she says. “Plastic tubing is lighter, more affordable and requires less energy to manufacture than metal pipes, making the entire system more efficient and cost-effective.”

Space optimization systems are another strategy being implemented to create more efficient galleys, such as Safran’s SpaceFlex V2, a galley-lavatory combination unit for line-fit and retrofit on the Airbus A320 family. “This innovation remains highly popular and has significantly influenced galley design to be more compact and space efficient while maintaining full functionality,” she says.

Imbert adds that for the long term, there is a focus on using more sustainable materials that help lower environmental impact. This includes the use of lightweight thermoplastics, which eliminate harmful toxic substances currently found in the composite panels of cabin interiors and the increasing identification of recyclable materials to apply during the design process.