30 SEPTEMBER 2019

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Article from BTNews 30 SEPTEMBER 2019

New focus on premium seating

A £1.4m 18-month research project to explore new lightweight Business Class and Premium Economy seating (below) for aircraft has taken off combining expertise in Formula One racing, aerospace and airline development, design, and safety certification.

Heavyweight firms taking part include Williams Advanced Engineering, JPA Design, British Airways and SWS Certification in a consortium supported by Airbus and funding from the UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI).

The team have calculated replacing all Business Class seats with a lighter product on just 12 long-haul aircraft such as the Airbus A350 translates to an annual saving of 942,000kg of CO2 and $195,600 (£158,000) in fuel.

Figures are based on an initial estimated saving of 4kg per seat, with opportunity for further savings through product development, with the team aiming to secure some of the $14.6bn (£11.8bn) aircraft interiors market for the UK, developing industrial capability and creating jobs.

Williams Advanced Engineering managing director Craig Wilson said: “Lightweight and safe components are crucial for success in motorsport and we are excited to have the opportunity to translate these capabilities into saving airlines carbon emissions and costs.

“Working with industry leaders as well as the ATI in this consortium offers significant benefits to aviation and the UK economy.”

www.williamsf1.com/advanced-engineering   www.ati.org.uk

www.jpadesign.com   www.swscertification.com

www.britishairways.com   www.airbus.com

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