AIRLINE REVIEW
all-business airlines in the world ). The name itself ( a cool reworking of the word ‘ beyond ’) is a commitment to excellence , an explicit declaration of intent to go beyond the expectations of travelers and beyond what other airlines deliver in their Premium cabins .
To deliver such an extraordinary flight experience , the airline created a unique cabin within what is probably one of the most ordinary aircraft around : the Airbus A319 . The airplane itself has a very peculiar story : it started life back in 2004 wearing the colors of the English low-cost carrier EasyJet ( U2 ), then flew for another LCC , Sky Airline ( H2 ) of Chile , before operating for German leisure operators Sundair ( SR ) and TUIfly ( X3 ). In August 2023 , following 19 years flown as a ‘ peon ’ of the skies in high-density cabin configurations , the plane was acquired by BeOnd , which transformed it into one of the world ’ s most beautiful aircraft .
Externally , the twin jet received a dark gray and copper livery with bold ‘ BeOnd ’ titles running along most of the fuselage . Internally , the 150 + Economy seats were ripped away and replaced with 44 ivory-white armchairs upholstered with Italian-made Poltrona Frau leather , which can be transformed into lie-flat beds . The Italian flair extends to the carbon fiber structure that envelops every pair of seats ( the layout is 2 + 2 ), which was made by Ferrari ( yes , that Ferrari ), while the seats were assembled by Optimares , a company based in Latina , near Rome .
Such is the abundance of space and beauty inside the plane that the A319 is more like a private jet than a commercial aircraft . The cabin ’ s touches of black , bronze , and orange make it much like another beauty of the skies , the Four Seasons Private Jet , which the world ’ s billionaires use for extravagant ( and hugely expensive ) itineraries .
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22 AIRWAYS MAGAZINE JUNE 2024 www . airwaysmag . com