Thompson Aero Seating is preparing for next week’s Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX), and with its latest round of inspiration and innovation, visitors to their stand will have no shortage of things to talk about.
The Vantage seating range
At Hamburg this year, Thompson will be presenting its entire Vantage premium seating range, showcasing its very latest advances with products designed for all Airbus and Boeing single- and twin-aisle aircraft platforms. The Thompson team will be on hand to discuss the comfort, privacy, personal space, and cabin density benefits of the range, in both forward-facing and angled configurations.
Andy Morris, chief commercial officer at Thompson Aero Seating, said of the product updates: “Our Vantage seating family comprises ‘living products’ – seats that continually evolve with new, innovative features, constantly enhanced according to airline and passenger feedback. We are proud to be able to provide customers with real-time developments rather than wait several years for a ‘new product’ to be released.”
Project Echo
Thompson will also be shining the spotlight on colour, materials and finish (CMF), a sometimes overlooked aspect of seating design. Project Echo is an exploration by the CMF team at Thompson, inspired by the heritage, culture, landscape and colours of its native Northern Ireland. The CMF team has combined the essence of their surroundings, along with key colour trend predictions, to bring a brand aesthetic to the Vantage seating range that captures the spirit of the land.
Andy Morris stated: “The way in which the CMF team has translated the heritage and influences of Northern Ireland into an aligned and distinctive brand range of colours and textures for our seating is very impressive. The seats look amazing, and we are excited to invite customers and potential customers to our stand to experience the look and feel of the seats for themselves.”
Sustainability
The sustainability journey for Thompson continues, and having introduced its ‘material collaboration’ approach at AIX 2023, all aspects of the business have now been reviewed, in order to produce a sustainability report for 2024. This will enable Thompson to continue to shape its strategies to help the company to conduct itself today in a way that will safeguard the future.
Dynamic Test Facility
Thompson’s Dynamic Test Facility was opened at the end of last year and contributes to the sustainability, inspiration and innovation of its seats. The facility is crucial to future development at Thompson. Having full on-site testing facilities allows Thompson and its customers to keep ahead of new trends, to research and develop new materials, and to ensure that engineering advances are quickly certificated.
Andy Morris added: “Thompson has invested significant time and money during the last year into developments that will benefit the entire industry, from both product and sustainability perspectives. We are delighted to have the opportunity to meet with our airline customers at AIX, to share ideas and to explain more about the innovation and inspiration behind our industry-leading seats.”
