Weight and passenger comfort are two mostly conflicting factors in air transportation, and a point where it becomes very obvious is in the lavatory. Water is heavy, so the less you transport, the better. Yet water is an important comfort factor even in the lavatory, and you want your passengers to feel they are getting all they need. For that reason the water faucets on board are very different from the ones in your house. The best ones dispense measured quantities of water, yet make it feel like a lot. Two other requirements:

• the faucet should look clean and appetizing also to the 50 th passenger using the rest room on that flight,

• and it should not require an engineering degree to operate.

Franke AquaRotter AG is Europe's leading manufacturer of aircraft faucets, and they have managed to combine these requirements into several very attractive series:

A380 Lavatory Water Supply System is an elegant, electronically controlled faucet. It's designed for the latest Airbus A380 Super Jumbo, and it is part of a complete system that includes the water heater. It is wall-mounted, lightweight and has a separate control system that communicates with the aircraft's management system. It also has a separate electromechanical thermostat to ensure passenger comfort.

The faucet comes in two primary versions - touch-less activation by a front-mounted infrared sensor, or micro-switch (pushbutton) activation. The system also includes an optional drain control. An LED display shows a water temperature scale, and the passenger can change the temperature using 'warmer' or 'colder' push buttons.

This faucet is the standard from Airbus for all A380 lavatories, but some of the business and first class lavatories may have unique, airline-specific designs from Franke Aquarotter. Be prepared to be pleasantly surprised!