Opening the Conversation: Who's In The Room?

• Which internal functions are currently involved in cabin configuration decision-making for this program? Options: Product / Route & Revenue, Engineering / Structures, Procurement / Commercial, Asset Management / Lessors, Customer Experience / Inflight, Maintenance / Line Ops, Legal & Compliance, Finance, C-suite / Executive
• For each function you've selected, who are the decision-makers (name and title) we should invite to alignment sessions?
• Which single function holds final commercial sign-off for cabin programs on your side? Options: Procurement / Commercial, Finance, C-suite, Program Management Office, Joint sign-off
• Which single function holds final technical/acceptance sign-off for installed cabin configurations? Options: Engineering / Certification, Maintenance / Continuing Airworthiness, Product / Fleet Planning, Joint technical acceptance
• How are approval gates currently scheduled or triggered in your organization? Options: Weekly program board, Bi-weekly working group, Monthly executive review, Ad-hoc as deliverables complete, Formal approval portal (RACI)
• Are there pre-existing commercial thresholds or policy limits (cost per aircraft, liability caps, payment terms) we must strictly respect? Options: Yes — there are defined thresholds, Partially — guideline ranges, No — flexible, Unsure
• If you answered 'Yes' or 'Partially', please summarise the critical thresholds, owner of the limit, and how rigid they are.

If This Program Fails, Where Will It Hurt Most?

• If certification slipped by six weeks, what are the top three immediate consequences you’d expect (operational, financial, customer-impact)? Please list them in order.
• Which part of your organization would feel the biggest impact from that slip? Options: Commercial / Revenue Management, Network Ops / Scheduling, Maintenance / Line Ops, Customer Experience / Marketing, Finance / Investor relations
• Can you quantify the approximate financial exposure per aircraft for a two-week delay (lost revenue, re-scheduling costs, compensation) or provide a guiding range? Options: < $100k, $100k–$500k, $500k–$1M, $1M–$3M, > $3M, Prefer not to specify
• Have you faced a similar certification or delivery delay on a previous cabin program? Briefly describe what happened and how the program recovered.
• When delays occur, who typically becomes the internal escalation owner and what's their escalation path? Options: Program Director → COO, Procurement → CFO, Engineering → VP Engineering, Cross-functional steering committee
• How do you expect passenger experience metrics (NPS, complaint rates, ancillary spend) to react during early revenue service if rollout is delayed or imperfect?

Are We Measuring the Right Things?

• If forced to prioritise, which single metric would you be willing to trade off—revenue-per-seat, weight target, or passenger comfort—and why? Options: Revenue-per-seat, Weight target (fuel/efficiency), Passenger comfort / NPS, Certification timeline, Unsure / Can't choose
• What are your current numeric targets or constraints for the program (target revenue-per-seat uplift, average seat pitch for premium cabins, allowable weight per seat)?
• Which certification milestone do you consider the riskiest on your proposed timeline? Options: Design & analysis sign-off, Structural substantiation tests, STC / Supplemental Type approval, AOC / Operational approval, Regulatory validations (EASA/FAA/Other)
• What warranty or in-service defect rates over the first 36 months would you consider acceptable? Choose the closest band. Options: < 1%/year, 1–3%/year, 3–5%/year, > 5%/year, Unsure
• How do you plan to measure passenger experience after installation (NPS surveys, onboard feedback, ancillary revenue per passenger, load factor shifts)? Options: NPS / surveys, Complaint rates, Ancillary revenue tracking, Seat load factor changes, Operational on-time performance, Other

Sizing the Risk You're Willing to Carry

• What is the absolute commercial threshold that would cause you to stop the program immediately (e.g., cost per aircraft, certification exposure, warranty liability)?
• Which cost-cap range would you prefer for cabin modification per aircraft (excluding IFE and line-fit variability)? Options: < $1M, $1M–$3M, $3M–$7M, $7M–$15M, > $15M, Undisclosed/Varies by config
• How should certification risk be allocated between your airline and the supplier? Options: Supplier assumes full certification responsibility and cost, Shared risk (negotiated split), Customer assumes most certification cost, Case-by-case by subsystem
• What level of spares and support must be delivered at handover to consider the program low-risk (basic kit, recommended spare set, AOG contract, full lifetime provisioning)? Options: Basic kit (minimal), Recommended spare set, AOG / rapid response contract, Full lifetime provisioning
• Would you consider milestone-based payments tied to certification sign-off or entry-into-service? Options: Yes — comfortable, Possibly with defined milestones, No — prefer fixed pricing
• Describe the commercial concessions (warranties, performance bonds, liquidated damages) that would make you comfortable accepting supplier-led risk.

Hidden Stakeholders and Soft Constraints

• Who outside the formal program team could quietly block approvals if not engaged early? Options: Lessor / Asset Manager, Regulators (FAA / EASA / CAAC / Other), Line Maintenance / MRO partner, Cabin Crew / Inflight Services, Unions, Marketing / Brand, Investors / Board
• For each external stakeholder you've selected, what is their primary concern (safety, turn-time impact, lease compliance, brand alignment, cost)?
• Do lease-return or redelivery clauses impose design constraints (floor loading, seat count, approved modifications)? Options: Yes — strict clauses apply, Partially — negotiable, No — no restrictive clauses, Unsure
• If lease clauses apply, please summarise the critical points (seat-count limits, repair standards, approved suppliers) or attach a reference location.
• How vocal or influential are your maintenance partners about weight and modification complexity during design reviews? Options: Very influential — must be satisfied, Moderately influential, Low influence, No direct input
• Which national authorities or specific certification offices should we pre-brief or engage early in the program? Options: FAA, EASA, CAAC, ANAC, DGCA / Other regional authority

How Decision Momentum Looks

• What was the single most effective lever that compressed a previous cabin program timeline—and can we apply that here?
• What is your target window for reaching mutual commercial and technical commitment on this project? Options: Within 1 month, 1–3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, No target yet
• Which meeting cadence speeds decisions for you (weekly working group, bi-weekly steering, monthly exec sign-off)? Options: Weekly working group, Bi-weekly steering, Monthly exec sign-off, Ad-hoc decision meetings
• Which deliverables accelerate your internal approvals most: BOM and cost model, preliminary weight model, certification plan, or supplier flight/installation references? Options: Detailed BOM & cost model, Preliminary weight model, Certification plan & timeline, Supplier installation references / case studies, All of the above
• Map who needs budget approval versus who needs technical acceptance (name + role) to help us prepare the right artifacts.
• Would a draft RACI plus a milestone calendar from us materially shorten your review cycles? Options: Yes — that would help a lot, Maybe — depends on detail, No — internal process is fixed

Making Collaboration Feel Safe

• What would make you comfortable sharing early commercial targets and sensitive weight models with a supplier? Options: Mutual NDA, Redacted data sets, Staged data exchange under contract, Escrow for critical models, Pilot / trial agreement
• Do you require suppliers to have prior experience on your aircraft type or equivalent certification history? Options: Yes — must have direct type experience, Preferred but not required, No — open to qualified suppliers
• Would you be open to a pilot installation or trial aircraft to de-risk assumptions before fleet rollout? Options: Yes — strongly open, Possibly — depending on cost, No — not feasible
• Which assurances reduce your concern about supplier delivery slippage (financial penalties, performance bonds, staged payments, frequent status reporting)? Options: Financial penalties / LDs, Performance bonds, Staged payments tied to milestones, Daily/weekly burn-down reports, On-site supplier program manager
• Which contractual terms are absolute deal-breakers for you (e.g., IP ownership, limited liability, warranty length)? Please list the non-negotiables.

Next Steps We Can Own Together

• If we could take one concrete action this week to accelerate alignment, what should it be?
• Which materials from us would be most useful right now to unblock your internal review (RACI draft, high-level BOM, preliminary weight model, certification plan)? Options: RACI draft & milestone calendar, High-level BOM & cost ranges, Preliminary weight model, Certification plan & authority list, Supplier references / case studies
• Who should attend an initial alignment workshop (please provide names and roles for required and optional attendees)?
• What decision milestone would make you comfortable moving to the next phase (Solution Experience)—a preliminary technical sign-off, commercial term agreement, shared risk agreement, or another trigger? Options: Preliminary technical sign-off, Commercial term agreement, Shared risk agreement, All of the above, Other
• What communication rhythm would you prefer for program updates (weekly, bi-weekly, on-demand, daily during critical windows)? Options: Weekly, Bi-weekly, On-demand / as needed, Daily during critical windows
• Who will be our single point of contact for program coordination and approvals (name, title, contact details)?
• Are there any immediate red flags, absolute constraints, or cultural considerations we haven't asked about that would change how we approach alignment?

Getting Comfortable — A Quick Snapshot

• Which organization and cabin program should we align to for this conversation?
• Who will be our day-to-day counterpart and what are their roles?
• Which aircraft types are in scope for this program? Options: A320 family, A321neo/A321LR, A330/A330neo, A350, B737NG, B737 MAX, B777, B787, ATR/Regional, Other
• How many aircraft (approx.) and what is your target program start date or entry-into-service window?
• What is the primary business objective for this cabin program? Options: Increase revenue per seat (RPS), Brand refresh / passenger experience, Lease redelivery compliance, Weight/fuel savings, IFE/connectivity upgrade, Cost reduction, Other

What’s the One Thing That Keeps You Awake About This Program?

• If this program slipped by two weeks, which of these would describe the likely impact? Options: Minor schedule tweak, absorbable, Material revenue loss, Cascading program delays, Executive escalation and commercial penalties, Program risk of cancellation
• Which single factor causes you most anxiety today when thinking about this cabin refresh or redelivery? Options: Certification delays, Supplier delivery slippage, Weight penalties, Modification line downtime, Cost overruns, Passenger experience risk, Other
• Tell us about a recent program that kept leaders in the war room—what happened and who felt the sting?
• When these issues occur, what tends to suffer first—revenue, schedule, brand trust, or crew/line morale? Options: Revenue, Schedule, Brand trust, Crew/line morale, All of the above
• How long have these pain points been recurring in your cabin programs? Options: This is new, 6–12 months, 1–3 years, 3+ years

Are We Underestimating the Certification Mountain?

• What would it mean for your program if certification took 50% longer than your current plan assumes? Options: Minor schedule tweak, Delayed entry into service, Major financial impact, Program cancellation risk, Unsure
• Which authorities must sign off on the scope (select all that apply)? Options: FAA, EASA, CAAC, ANAC, TCAA/TCCA, Other national authority
• Do you have existing STCs/PMAs or certification baselines we can leverage, or is this a clean-sheet certification? Options: Full STC available, Partial STC elements exist, Clean-sheet certification required, Unknown / need to assess
• Share a concrete example of a past certification delay—what was the root cause and how long did it take to recover?
• Who on your side owns certification risk and who are the formal points of contact for authorities? Options: Product team, Systems engineering, Cert authority liaison, External consultant/partner, Other

Where Do Your Fleets Live Today — The Complexity Question

• How much additional effort do you think fleet variation adds to this program—manageable or a hidden multiplier? Options: Minimal, Manageable, Significant, Severe
• Describe current cabin configurations across the fleets in scope (seat counts by class, notable monuments, IFE variants).
• How many unique seat types, galleys, or lavatory variants exist across those fleets? Options: 1–2, 3–4, 5–8, 9+
• Do you face redelivery constraints from lessors or customers that create immovable installation dates? Options: Yes—strict fixed dates, Yes—some flexibility, No fixed constraints, Not applicable
• What typical maintenance or operational windows do you have for modifications (e.g., night slots, A-check days, season blackout weeks)?

What Happens When The Modification Line Stops?

• When a supplier misses a delivery and installation crews idle, what is the non-financial cost you most dread—reputation, crew turnover, or customer trust? Options: Reputation, Crew morale/turnover, Customer relationships, Operational ripple to networks, All of the above
• Which suppliers or component areas have been the weakest links in past programs (e.g., seats, IFE, galleys, bins, harnesses)? Please list and give brief context.
• How would you rate vendor on-time delivery and quality over the past two years? Options: >95%, 85–95%, 70–85%, <70%, Unknown
• Who coordinates daily integration on the line today—do you use a single integrator, internal ops, or a third-party manager? Options: Single integrator (prime), Airline/lessor operations team, Third-party program manager, No formal coordinator
• What spare parts and provisioning policy do you expect at handover (months of spares, critical spares list, consignment)? Options: 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, Custom per part, No definitive policy

If You Could Snap Your Fingers — What Would the Cabin Actually Deliver?

• What single cabin change would most move the needle on revenue or brand perception for you?
• What uplift in revenue-per-seat (RPS) or unit yield are you targeting (percentage or absolute)?
• Which passenger experience KPIs matter most to you (select up to three)? Options: NPS, Comfort score, Seat pitch/width, IFE uptime, Connectivity speed, Boarding/deplaning time, Other
• What is your maximum acceptable weight delta per aircraft to meet fuel and range constraints (specify kg or lbs)?
• What timeframe do you expect to see measurable CX or revenue outcomes after installation? Options: 0–3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, 12+ months

Decisions, Money, and Timing — Who’s Holding the Keys?

• How likely is it that this program could stall because a critical approver isn’t available at decision time? Options: Highly likely, Possible, Unlikely, Zero chance
• Who are the final approvers for commercial spend and technical acceptance? Please list names/roles and escalation contacts.
• What approval thresholds force executive sign-off or board review? Options: <$1M, $1–5M, $5–20M, >$20M, Other
• Where does the certification budget sit today—program, corporate, or split? Options: Program, Corporate, Shared, Undecided
• Do you have installation blackout periods (peak season) we must avoid? If so, which months or operational milestones?

First Small Moves That Buy You Months

• If we proposed three targeted actions that would cut your critical path by 20–30%, would you commit to at least two immediately? Options: Yes, definitely, Maybe with conditions, Unlikely, Need internal discussion
• Which of these de-risking moves would you be open to? (pick all that apply) Options: Parallel certification & manufacturing, Single-source critical assemblies, Early supplier engagement, Pre-procure long-lead items, Prototype fit-checks / mock-ups, Shared test lab access
• Can you share current cabin drawings, weight statements, supplier contracts or certification artifacts? What access level is required? Options: Can upload now, Can share after NDA, Not ready, Prefer to discuss first
• Who on your team can sign NDAs and provide technical files quickly?
• What pilot scope would prove the concept fastest—mock-up, single aircraft, small fleet pilot, or full production release? Options: Mock-up only, Single aircraft, 2–5 aircraft pilot, Fleet-wide pilot, Other
• When would you be ready to schedule an initial alignment workshop to scope critical-path items? Options: Within 2 weeks, 2–6 weeks, 1–3 months, Later than 3 months

Starting Smooth: A Quick Program Snapshot

• Which aircraft type and program are we discussing for this upcoming deployment? Options: A320 family, A330 family, A350 family, B737 family, B787 family, Other (please specify)
• How many aircraft are in scope for this campaign and which sequence numbers are planned first?
• What are the currently targeted modification window start and finish dates for the first aircraft? Options: Firm dates confirmed, Estimated date range, Not yet scheduled, Rolling schedule
• Who should we list as the primary day-to-day operational contact for the airline/lessor (name, role, preferred contact method)?
• Which of these program priorities matter most to you right now? Options: On-time entry into service, Minimizing weight penalty, Maximizing revenue-per-seat, Certification certainty, Minimizing installation downtime, Warranty risk reduction

What Keeps You Up at Night Before a Mod Line?

• If we had to point to one thing that would derail this deployment, what would it be—and why does that keep you up at night?
• Which of these failure modes have you actually experienced in previous refits? Options: Supplier late deliveries, Missing certification artifacts, Installation crew idle time, Unforeseen weight issues, Tooling or jig unavailability, Access or structural surprises
• When supplier deliveries slipped before, how long were the delays and what downstream cost or schedule impact did that create?
• How do these risks usually make your team feel—frustrated, resigned, hyper-vigilant, or something else? Options: Frustrated, Resigned/expectant, Hyper-vigilant, Defensive/action-oriented, Other
• Which single metric would you want us to report daily during the mod line to help you sleep better? Options: Parts on-hand %, Installation progress % complete, Open critical defects, Days of spare parts available, Certification artifacts completed

If We’re Honest About Readiness, Where Are the Gaps?

• How confident are you that all long-lead items will be on-site before the first scheduled install slot? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Uncertain, Not confident
• List the top three long-lead items or assemblies you expect to be highest risk for on-time delivery.
• For each high-risk item you listed, what is the current status and what mitigation (if any) is already in place?
• Who in your organization owns procurement escalation for late parts, and how quickly can they authorize alternatives or expedited shipping? Options: Procurement Director, Program Manager, Operations Lead, Fleet/Asset Manager, Other
• Do you have preferred or exclusive suppliers we must coordinate with—and are there contractual constraints we should know about? Options: Yes – preferred suppliers, Yes – exclusivity constraints, No preferred/exclusive suppliers, Not sure yet

Who Truly Holds the Keys? Understanding Decision and Approval Pressure

• Who has final authority to approve a go/no-go for the first modification slot—and what criteria do they insist on?
• Which internal stakeholders must sign off before we ship tooling and kits? Options: Product VP, Engineering, Procurement, Asset Management, Customer Experience, Maintenance/Engineering
• Are there external stakeholders (lessors, regulators, OEMs) whose concurrence is required before installation begins? Options: Yes – lessor approval, Yes – OEM approval, Yes – national authority notification, No external concurrence required, Not sure
• How do you prefer risk and escalation communications to flow during the deployment—daily summary, immediate urgent alerts, weekly deep-dive, or a combination? Options: Immediate alerts + daily summary, Daily summary only, Weekly deep-dive, Combination depending on severity
• When a decision hit happens during the mod line, who needs to be actively involved in the call (roles, not names)? Options: Program Manager, Engineering lead, Procurement lead, Installation supervisor, Certification lead, Customer Experience rep

Certificates, Authorities, and the Ticking Clock

• Which certification authorities must sign off for this configuration before the aircraft can return to revenue service? Options: FAA, EASA, CAAC, ANAC, Other national authority, Not applicable
• Are there any open certification artifacts, flight test plans, or structural substantiation items that currently block sign-off? Options: No open items, Minor documentation items, Significant test/demo items, Unknown / needs review
• If a certification item slips, what is the impact threshold at which you would pause installations (e.g., slips > X days or missing artifact type)?
• Who is our primary certification contact on your side, and how quickly can they escalate questions to the regulatory body if needed?
• What evidence package format do your authorities prefer (e.g., DOA reports, 8130 tags, test reports), and are there formatting constraints we must follow? Options: Standard DOA package, 8130 tags required, Flight test reports, Certificate of Conformity, Other / bespoke format

Installation Flow: Where Could the Dominoes Fall?

• If a single installation sequence change could save time across the first week, what area would you change—seat blocks, IFE cabling, monuments, or lighting integration? Options: Seat blocks, IFE cabling, Monuments/galley, Lighting/avionics, Structural access
• Are installation crews assigned and trained on this specific kit today, or will they need a ramp-up period and supervised first installs? Options: Fully trained and assigned, Assigned but need refresh, Not assigned / need recruitment, We rely on third-party crews
• What critical tooling or jigs are unique to this configuration and where are they currently located?
• How many concurrent workstations does your mod line run, and do you have constraints on simultaneous module installs? Options: 1–2, 3–4, 5–8, 9+
• If an installation task stalls for more than a shift, what on-the-ground escalation or recovery actions are typically taken? Options: Deploy spare crew, Re-sequence tasks, Expedite parts, Call our engineering support, Other

Plan B — Contingencies That Keep the Aircraft Moving

• When late parts have occurred before, which contingency proved most effective—using spares, alternate vendors, or re-sequencing—and why? Options: Using spares, Alternate vendors, Re-sequencing, On-site fabrication, Other
• What minimum spare parts inventory would make you comfortable (days of operations or % of kit coverage)? Options: 7 days, 14 days, 30 days, By % of kit required (specify), No set target yet
• Do you have pre-approved alternate suppliers or logistics partners we can tap into in an escalation scenario? Options: Yes – several pre-approved, Yes – limited alternatives, No pre-approved alternates, We need to set this up
• What financial or contractual buffer exists for rework, expedited shipping, or overtime during the mod line? Options: Contingency budget defined, Contingency negotiated ad-hoc, No contingency budget, Unknown – needs confirmation
• If we propose a predefined escalation path with named roles and SLAs, would you be willing to commit to it prior to the first install? Options: Yes, Maybe (need review), No

What Would Make You Confident to Start? Practical Exit Criteria

• What are the non-negotiable acceptance criteria that must be met before kits leave our factory or before the first install begins?
• Which success metrics should we use to validate pre-deployment readiness (pick up to three)? Options: All long-leads delivered, Installation crew certified, Certification artifacts approved, Tooling on site, Spare provisioning complete, Installation schedule locked
• How would you like readiness validated—joint readiness review, independent checklist submission, or on-site readiness audit? Options: Joint readiness review, Independent checklist submission, On-site audit, Combination
• If we run a joint dry-run of critical install tasks, what would you want observed and who would attend from your team?
• Realistically, how soon after we close the readiness checklist do you want us to begin installations? Options: Immediately (next available slot), Within 1–2 weeks, Within a month, Depends on slot availability
• What final concern—big or small—would prevent you from signing the go-ahead today, and how can we address it together?

Start Light — Tell Us About This Program

• What program are we talking about (aircraft type, cabin scope, and planned delivery / modification window)?
• Which fleet types will this configuration touch? Options: Narrowbody (single-aisle), Widebody (twin-aisle), Regional jet, Mixed fleet, Unsure / evaluating
• What phase is your program currently in? Options: Concept / internal scoping, Feasibility / costing, Detailed design & certification prep, Certification / compliance testing, Manufacturing, Installation scheduling
• Who initiated this program inside your organisation? Options: VP Product / Head of Product, Cabin Program Director, Head of CX / Marketing, Fleet/Asset Manager (lessor), C-suite directive, Other
• What is the rough commercial scale or budget band for this program? Options: <$1M per aircraft, $1M–$5M per aircraft, $5M–$15M per aircraft, >$15M per aircraft, Undisclosed/Confidential
• Who on your team should we loop into detailed technical conversations (names & roles)?

Are You Settling for 'Good Enough'?

• What’s one compromise you've accepted on prior cabin projects that still nags at you today?
• How often do similar compromises happen across projects in your organization? Options: Almost always, Often, Occasionally, Rarely
• When those compromises played out, what tangible impacts did you see (revenue, passenger feedback, maintenance events, certification delays)?
• Which internal or external forces usually pressure you into those trade-offs? Options: Schedule pressure, Budget constraints, Supplier limitations, Certification complexity, Stakeholder disagreement, Other
• If you could remove one common compromise from future programs, which would it be and why?

Who Really Holds the Keys?

• If a single stakeholder could block or delay this project, who would that be—and what would they insist on changing?
• Which functions must sign off for final approval on cabin scope? Options: Product, Engineering/Structure, Procurement, Asset Management / Lessors, Customer Experience, Finance, Operations (MRO)
• Do you have predefined commercial thresholds that require executive review (e.g., CAPEX triggers, payback thresholds)? If so, what are they? Options: Yes—specific thresholds, Yes—but variable by aircraft, No formal thresholds, Unsure
• How aligned are those stakeholders today on scope, timeline, and acceptable risk? Options: Fully aligned, Mostly aligned with minor gaps, Significant misalignment, Fragments / unclear
• When misalignment has happened before, who typically brokered the final decision and how long did it take?

Where Does Risk Hide in Your Plan?

• Which single hidden risk—supplier delivery, certification dependency, tool/fixture availability, or something else—keeps you up at night for this program?
• How would you rate your suppliers on on-time delivery and quality based on recent programs? Options: Excellent, Good, Mixed, Poor, Not yet engaged
• Have any suppliers or vendors on your radar historically created a single-point-of-failure for installation lines? Give examples.
• Which certification milestones sit on the critical path (e.g., structural STC, seat certification, IFE safety approvals)? Options: Structural STC, Seat 14CFR/CS25 approvals, IFE/Power approvals, Galley/monument certification, Lighting/emergency system approvals, Other
• What mitigations are in place today to reduce those risks (dual-sourcing, pre-cert work, parallel testing)?

What Would Winning Look Like — for Revenue and Experience?

• If your executive team asked for one clear metric to judge success, would it be revenue-per-seat, NPS, unit weight, on-time entry-to-service, or something else? Options: Revenue-per-seat, NPS / CX score, Weight / fuel savings, On-time EIS, Warranty incident rate, Other
• What is your target uplift for revenue-per-seat (numeric or range)? Options: <$5, $5–$15, $15–$50, >$50, Not yet quantified
• What passenger experience scores or qualitative outcomes would make you feel this cabin was a breakthrough? Options: NPS lift point estimate, Reduce complaints by %, Increase premium conversion by %, Improved privacy/comfort metrics, Other
• Beyond headline numbers, what three operational or maintenance outcomes must improve to consider this a success?
• How would you prefer we demonstrate those outcomes before mutual commit—prototype flights, mock-up trials, simulation modeling, or reference installations? Options: Full mock-up walkthrough, Passenger trial flight(s), Digital simulation & load analysis, Reference customer case study, Combined approach

What’s the Absolute Line You Won't Cross?

• Which single technical or commercial constraint is non-negotiable (max weight increase, minimum aisle clearance, type certification limits, budget cap)?
• What maximum weight penalty per seat or per aircraft are you willing to accept? Options: <1 kg/seat, 1–3 kg/seat, 3–6 kg/seat, >6 kg/seat, Not defined
• Are there certification baselines (existing STCs, DER agreements, airworthiness assumptions) we must design around? Please list.
• What minimum seat-density targets or maximum premium seats are mandated by commercial strategy? Options: Seat density priority, Balanced commercial/comfort, Premium experience prioritized, Undecided
• How long must this installation withstand without major rework—what refresh cycle do you expect (years or flight cycles)? Options: 3 years, 5 years, 7–10 years, Depends on component

If the Schedule Slides Two Weeks, What's the Real Cost?

• What is the commercial or operational impact of a two-week slip on a single aircraft in this program (dollars, slot loss, customer fallout)?
• How tolerant is your operation to cumulative downtime across multiple aircraft—do you carry buffer slots or is every day critical? Options: We have buffer capacity, Limited buffer—some impact, No buffer—every day critical, Varies by fleet
• Which parties absorb schedule risk under current contracts—operator, supplier, integrator, or shared? Options: Operator, Supplier / vendor, Integrator, Shared / negotiated
• If a two-week slip looks unavoidable, what trade-offs would you consider to protect revenue (overtime installs, split scope, temporary seating changes)?
• Do you currently track a dollar-per-day or dollar-per-slot cost metric we should use in scenario modelling? Options: Yes—detailed metric available, Yes—approximate figure, No, but can estimate, No metric available

Who Owns What—Especially When Things Get Messy?

• If certification or installation overruns occur, who on your side is empowered to make go/no-go trade-offs?
• Which responsibilities do you expect the integrator to own versus your internal teams (design changes, certification lead, supplier management, installation supervision)? Options: Design changes, Certification management, Supplier coordination, Installation supervision, Warranty handling, Other
• Who will own spare provisioning and logistics after handover? Options: Operator/airline, Lessors/asset manager, Integrator as service, Shared arrangement
• What escalation path do you expect for delays or quality issues (names, roles, SLA for escalation)?
• How do warranty and post-install defect resolution responsibilities need to be structured to make you comfortable?

Acceptance, Validation, and How We'll Prove It

• Which acceptance artifacts are mandatory before you’ll sign-off (pick all that apply)? Options: Functional test reports, Weight & CG report, Certification release / approvals, On-aircraft performance trials, Passenger experience survey, Warranty & spare provisioning documentation
• Which flight, lab, or ground tests must complete before the aircraft returns to revenue service?
• Do you require independent third-party verification or an authority-approved certification closeout package? Options: Independent verification required, Internal sign-off acceptable, Authority-issued certificate required (FAA/EASA/other), Depends on component
• How many spare sets, and what lead-times, would you require on day-one handover for critical items (seats, IFE modules, galley components)?
• Which warranty KPIs will you monitor during the first 12 months (failure rate per flight hour, MTTR, number of AOG events, passenger complaints)? Options: Failure rate per flight hour, Mean Time To Repair (MTTR), AOG event count, Customer complaint volume, Warranty cost per flight
• How would you like daily/weekly acceptance status reported during the installation window (dashboard, daily stand-up, written report)? Options: Live dashboard, Daily stand-up call, Formal written report, Combination

Okay — If We Partner, What Happens Next?

• What immediate information, document, or commitment from us would make you confident to move to a formal scope and mutual commit?
• Which documents should we deliver first to accelerate your internal approvals (initial BOM, certification roadmap, Installation sequencing plan, commercial term sheet)? Options: Bill of Materials (initial), Certification roadmap, Installation sequencing plan, Commercial term sheet, Risk register
• Who is the nominated signatory or commercial owner for the mutual commit on your side?
• Realistically, what timeline would you like to see between scoping and a mutual commercial commit? Options: <2 weeks, 2–6 weeks, 6–12 weeks, Longer than 12 weeks
• What remaining blockers could prevent your team from committing within that timeline?
• What communication cadence and decision check-points would make stakeholders feel comfortable (weekly exec updates, bi-weekly technical reviews, milestone gating)? Options: Weekly exec updates, Bi-weekly technical reviews, Milestone gating with sign-offs, Ad-hoc as needed, Combination