Virgin Atlantic recently unveiled a new, slimmer food tray onboard their carriers. The redesign will shed up to 53 pounds of weight from a plane, ultimately reducing greenhouse gases and fuel costs.
This was created together with London-based design firm MAP, who not only gave the flatware a new look, but also used a practical approach with the emphasis on making planes more efficient.
The flatware is designed in bright purple, and it allows more trays to fit in a industry-standard cart. That means, each cart holds more food and the total number of carts needed to feed all the passengers on the plane can be brought down.
The trays also have features like a non-slip surface and a tip that hooks with the next tray, letting the flight attendant to retrieve meals from the cart easily.
Coffee pots are also now more ergonomic with clear labelling.
One unique (but perhaps inefficient) item in the redesign haul is a two-tiered serving tray that serves a sandwich and a piece of cake together. Used in First Class, this tray requires an 11-second assembly time.
View more images of the redesigned tray below.
[via Gizmodo]