When one thinks of parts and spares for an aircraft, an industrial supply chain often comes to mind, although a partnership of four French and Italian companies are very much a part of that supply chain when it comes to serving the comfort of the passengers on board.
Companies Yves Delorme, Griffe, Ercuis & Raynard have combined forces to leverage their respective individual specialties to offer a complimentary product aboard VIP aircraft.
Ercuis & Raynaud specialises in flatware, Griffe in glassware and Yves Delorme in linens.
The companies, two of which date to the middle of the 19th century, have watched their businesses, which pre-date powered flight, evolve to provide luxury items for royal palaces,private mega-yachts and now luxury aircraft.
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Representatives from the individual companies work with aircraft interior designers to customise every last centimetreof the on-board experience, down to the custom embroidery and branding of every item.
All of these products come with specialised product support, just as the mechanical components of the aircraft do.
Olivier Damas, director of Yves Delorme Palace, says that customers typically require six to sevensets of linens, with one set on board, two at the operator's base and four to give sets on routes frequented by the aircraft, with on-demand spares that can be ready quickly.
The ultra-high-end products, often thought to be recession proof, saw a slowdown in business over the first quarter of the year, says Camille Barret, decoratrice for Ercuis & Raynaud. She emphasises, however, that business is now bouncing back to its pre-recession levels.
Barret adds that some items on display at the show are amongthose selected by the operator of the "largest Airbus", suggesting some on the standcould fly aboard the A380 Flying Palace.
Source: Flight Daily News
