NEW SEATING HORIZONS Commercial aviation is entering the new year with one new aircraft poised for introduction, another posing uncertainty, but with buoyant demand for seating and companies ready to supply solutions

NEW SEATING HORIZONS

The Eclipse seat from HAECO Americas is designed for a home in Premium Economy or Business Class

The start of the new decade seems to be in stride with the start of something new in commercial aviation. By next year, a new aircraft in the 777X is scheduled to be delivered to Boeing’s first customers. Meanwhile, the 737 MAX remains grounded with an uncertain future that is affecting the plans of many MRO companies, suppliers and airlines that will be gathering in Dubai for this year’s AIME. The problems are casting a shadow over what the experts say is otherwise a healthy business climate with a significant portion of the growth coming from the Middle East. “The MAX’s issues are having an impact because they are delaying both fleet decisions and interior upgrades or replacement decisions,” says Doug Rasmussen, President and Group Director at HAECO Americas in Greensboro, North Carolina, during an interview with PAX Tech. Tarsus F & E, organizers of the Commercial aviation is entering the new year with one new aircraft poised for introduction, another posing uncertainty, but with buoyant demand for seating and companies ready to supply solutions by RICK LUNDSTROM

For its A321 aircraft, La Compagnie opted for the Diamond seat from Collins Aerospace

annual AIME event held February 25 to 26, cite reports that the aircraft interiors industry is growing at the compound annual rate of 5.87 percent with an estimated worth of US$40.2 billion. Some of the main players in the industry are setting up shop in the Middle East. Trenchard Aviation Group recently gained regulatory approval for an MRO facility in Dubai; and AIM Altitude operates a manufacturing and services facility in Abu Dhabi.

From now until summer, seat makers will be busy making proposals to airlines and working on new products that they will show the industry at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg. At the

beginning of this year, seatmaker Recaro noted a record-breaking 2019, earning the company €600 million (US$663 million) by the end of October. Recaro pioneered the first connected seat for Economy Class. TAP Air Portugal is testing the company’s iSeat, equipped with sensors that analyze seat performance. PAX Tech interviewed seat makers in January to get exclusive news about launches that were previously under wraps, as well as details about cabin outfitting projects – some of which have interesting layouts, such as the all Business Class cabin operated with A321neo aircraft by French carrier La Compagnie. The airline selected the Diamond seat by Collins Aerospace for the 76-passenger cabin. La Compagnie has cleared many of the business hurdles associated with startups of its type, operating since 2014 on routes between New York/Newark and Paris Orly or Nice Côte d’Azur. The first new cabins were flying in June of last year. Collins customized the seat for La Compagnie in its Miami facility. Also, in the summer of 2019, Collins Aerospace announced it would supply its Super Diamond Business Class seat to Kuwait Airways along with its Essence™ galley inserts. Kuwait Airways was the 20th airline to take the Super Diamond and will operate a 32-passenger Business Class cabin in a 1-2-1 configuration. For

Boxmark’s design on the move

Austrian leather specialist Boxmark supplies seating products to several industries, and at this year’s Aircraft Interiors Middle East and Aircraft Interiors Expo Hamburg, the company will be showing its capability for designing a product that looks good sitting still or on the move.

“We believe that we have recognized that the designers are looking for new ways to bring the sense of a living space into the aircraft,” says Rupert Gollner, Head of the Air Division at Boxmark. Passengers also want to enjoy the convenience of their home while flying.

“With the Business Class bench, which we are presenting at AIX in Hamburg, we are adding various design elements, such as quilting or handcrafted embroidery, to show how to follow the trend towards greater comfort but also individualization,” Gollner adds.

That design, done on a seat by Stelia borrows heavily from the company’s work in automobiles. Another seat for Economy Class, done up in blue, white and brown, will be on display in Dubai. Both seats show a mixture of sewing and stitching that give the end product a three-dimensional effect that can be done through a multi-step process of scanning and design.

Boxmark supplies seating products for German, Asian and U.S. automakers, as well as hotels. In Hamburg, the company is also planning to meet with designers who work with airports to develop a line of seating for the Business Class and First Class lounges. The company’s Xtreme Leather product is well suited for the airport environment as it can stand up to use indoors and outdoors. Boxmark also plans to add features such as charging stations, heating and cooling to make the product attractive for use in airport lounges.

A stylish design from Boxmark is on this seat manufactured by Stelia

Latitude Aero announces new Washington location

President and CEO Kelvin Boyette of Latitude Aero

Latitude Aero is expanding its global reach and opening a new location in Burlington, Washington, north of Seattle. The new facility received its FAA Certification in December and the company expects to start production there February 1.

Latitude Aero is a Greensboro, North Carolina-based aircraft seating overhaul provider that specializes in the integration of inflight entertainment (IFE) and in-seat power (ISPS). The new shop in the Seattle area will service the OEM customer base on the West Coast and would allow Latitude Aero to provide maintenance and repair to all of North America.

“Our new Burlington shop will create fresh revenue and labor here in Greensboro,” President and CEO Kelvin Boyette. “By operating two facilities, we’re now able to take on larger projects, run production simultaneously, and provide overflow relief for our second location. “We are working closely with the Skagit County Economic Development team to staff and grow our team in Burlington and the Seattle Region. We hope to welcome 10 to 15 team members who will receive training and professional development.”

Collins Aerospace, the new contract resulted in more than 10,000 Super Diamonds flying on airlines worldwide. Alastair Hamilton, Collins’ Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Aircraft Seating says the company is taking up much of its time at the start of

this year with airlines that are taking the 777X.

“Most of our life has revolved around campaigns,” he tells PAX Tech. “We have been working very closely with the airlines, trying to win their 777X positions. We are fortunate that we have won our share.” For passengers, the new aircraft will mean new features built for comfort. Like the 787 Dreamliner, the 777X will have larger windows and an interior that has improved humidity and temperature control. For seat makers, the thinner walls have added four inches of additional space which means airlines can select wider seats and have more options with cabin configuration. The world’s legacy carriers like Emirates, Singapore Airlines, British Airways and Cathay Pacific, have all been busy selecting the look and features of the new jet.

Collins has a number of new products in development this year and plans additional announcements at AIX in Hamburg. “I think 2020 is going to be a very exciting year going into 2021 in terms of product rollouts with new deliveries to various airlines,” Hamilton says.

HAECO’s Eclipse Last year, HAECO Americas debuted a product based on a broad look across the industry, bringing in the needs of airlines to supply long-haul Premium Economy and narrow body Business Class. Thus, a new seat built with elements that stress privacy, comfort and passenger space in a fixed-back shell was introduced in Hamburg last year. Shortly after debut, the Eclipse seat has won a launch customer in a Middle Eastern airline that is scheduled to receive its first shipset this year.

For HAECO, the Eclipse is an answer for airline cabins that are undergoing rapid changes. Rasmussen points out that the First Class cabin is giving way to a full featured Business Class with lie-flat seating and privacy. At the same time, passengers are seeing the value in spending the extra money to purchase extra comfort, making Premium Economy a profitable piece of real estate within the cabin. The Eclipse is designed for that space in wide-body aircraft while serving the front cabin on narrow bodies. HAECO will be showing the Eclipse to invitation only potential customers in Dubai.

The unique advantages of the Eclipse seat, together with the integrated cabin can create up to a 14 percent increase in passenger space within the same cabin, said Rasmussen in the announcement of the Eclipse last year. In addition to manufacturing seating, HAECO is a significant player in the aircraft reconfiguration marketplace. Rasmussen said this segment of the company’s business will be particularly important as a large portion of the world’s fleet purchased 10 to 15 years ago will require those services.

“Those aircraft are at that stage where some are coming off lease and others are just in need of upgrading their interiors,” Rasmussen says. Products like the HAECO Vector V2 Economy Seat with enhanced functionality and Vector Premium Economy Class seat are suited for aircraft with higher density configurations needing a seat that weighs less. In November of 2018, HAECO completed such a project on four A330-200s for Virgin Atlantic Airways. The aircraft received a nose-to-tail makeover with new Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy Class seating along with new carpets, upgraded inflight entertainment and modified lavatories. The work was completed at HAECO’s plant in Xiamen, China. Previously, the company did the same modifications for Virgin Atlantic’s 747-400 and A330-300.