Formula One Technology Could Make Airline Seats Lighter And Safer


Simple Flying

British Airways has joined forces with a group of other businesses to develop new lightweight aircraft seats. The new consortium hopes to make headway in the multi-billion pound aircraft interiors industry by developing money-saving and emissions-reducing seats.

A new research consortium has been formed to develop lightweight aircraft seats. Photo: Alf van Beem via Wikimedia Commons

British Airways has announced a £1.4 million, 18-month research partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering, JPA Design and SWS Certification.

Each business brings its own expertise to the project, which aims to develop new lightweight aircraft seats. The project will initially focus on business class suites, which are the focus of most investment.

The project will receive funding from the Aerospace Technology Institute, which aims to develop technologies which fit its long-term strategic outlook for the future of aviation. It will also receive support from Airbus, which will help bring the end products to market.

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According to reports by Business Traveller, the consortium hopes to tap into the highly lucrative aircraft interiors market, which ADS, an aviation trade organization, says is worth $14.6 billion annually.

What expertise does each company bring to the table?

Each member of the new research consortium brings with it its own industry specialisms. By utilizing and combining their own individual patents, the group hopes to meet its target objective – creating lightweight aircraft seats which will reduce emissions and fuel costs.

Taking the project lead will be Williams Advanced Engineering, a company whose origins lie within Formula 1. Williams Advanced Engineering will be responsible for developing the UK supply chain for the composite materials used in the new seats.

A British Airways Airbus A350
Lightweight seats can make a surprising difference on large aircraft. Photo: British Airways

Meanwhile, JPA Design already has experience designing seats for industry leader Singapore Airlines. JPA has developed a revolutionary monocoque seat design which cuts down on parts, manufacturing and maintenance costs, as well as increasing customer comfort.

Finally, SWS Certification will guide the project from a regulatory and safety specification point of view.

Discussing the project, SWS Certification’s Managing Director, Nigel Smith, said,

“Combining Formula One technology, world class design and a laser-like focus on safety across this consortium will deliver significant enhancements for airlines, passengers and the environment.”

Airbus and British Airways will then provide the operational platform to get the fruits of the project up into the air.

What difference would lightweight aircraft seats make?

As with every mode of transport, cutting down on weight reduces fuel consumption. It’s a major consideration in Formula 1, and there are many other changes which have been proposed as weight-saving measures on aircraft. But how much difference would a little less seat weight on a couple of hundred ton Airbus A350 make?

British Airways' Club Suite
British Airways recently revealed its new Club Suite. Photo: British Airways

Initial figures released by the consortium suggest that lightweight materials and new construction methods could provide 4 kg weight savings for each business class seat. This might not sound like much, but it quickly adds up. Spread across all business class seats on 12 Airbus A350s, this weight reduction could save $195,600 in fuel costs yearly.

In addition to the financial benefits, the weight reduction would result in 942,000 kg less CO2 emissions annually.

Depending on the success of the project, you could soon be flying in one of the new lightweight aircraft seats – although British Airways has only recently upgraded its business class seats.




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