Aircraft seating manufacturer Aviointeriors has entered into a contract with Salient Motion, for the supply of seat actuation control systems with the aim of reducing costs, accelerating certification and expanding its market reach. The systems will be used for the Allegra business-class seat platforms.
Aviointeriors expects that the partnership will enable it to add a qualification-ready seat actuation option in roughly 12 months through Salient Motion’s rapid certification process. Following the process, Aviointeriors will be able to offer airlines more supplier options and faster access to certified systems across major aircraft platforms, reducing development risks.
The Allegra platform, which includes the Allegra, Allegra HD, and Allegra Plus models, is an Aviointeriors lie-flat business-class seating line for multiple widebody and narrowbody aircraft across several cabin configurations. Allegra is included in the Airbus A330 catalogue and will also be installed on the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A321, extending the platform across narrow-body fleets.
Removing barriers to innovation
Aviointeriors says the seat actuation system market is experiencing sustained growth as airlines invest in premium cabin upgrades and expanded lie-flat seating offerings. However, the company notes that the supply base remains highly concentrated, with a limited number of legacy suppliers relying on bespoke seat designs, long development cycles, and high non-recurring costs.
These constraints can make it increasingly difficult for seat manufacturers, airlines and airframers to introduce new seating designs within realistic timelines.
The challenge extends beyond airlines to the airframers themselves. At a Barclays industry conference last year, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said that the company has B787 Dreamliners on the ground at its facility in South Carolina, USA “that are held up for delivery of the seats… It’s getting the seats certified, and it’s not actually the butt part of the seat.
“These are pretty complex systems, and getting those certified has taken both the seat suppliers and us longer than anticipated,” added Ortberg.
Accelerating certification
Vishaal Mali, CEO of Salient Motion, explained the company’s solution to the supply issue. “We saw a structural issue emerging in the aircraft interiors market – one where innovation was being slowed by long certification timelines and limited supplier choice,” he said. “That was the signal for us to put our engineers to work. In under a year, we took a seat actuation concept from a napkin sketch to a qualification-ready system.
“This partnership with Aviointeriors demonstrates what’s possible when modular design and software-driven development are applied to one of the most constrained categories in aerospace. And this is just the beginning of what we believe the industry will ultimately demand from its suppliers.”
The Salient Motion system’s software-defined architecture enables diagnostics and predictive maintenance capabilities, helping operators improve reliability and reduce in-service disruptions over the life of the seat.
The system was officially launched in January. You can read more details HERE.
Salient Motion will provide Aviointeriors with ongoing engineering support to ensure airworthiness compliance, delivering a complete seat control actuation system kit – including power supply units, actuators, harnessing, and embedded software – designed to meet the rigorous requirements of both narrow-body and wide-body aircraft.
“Integrating new actuation systems typically means complex certification processes and extended timelines,” added Christian Battisti, sales & marketing director at Aviointeriors. “What impressed us most was the speed and maturity with which this solution evolved, from concept to a qualification-ready system in less than a year.
“From a seat supplier’s perspective, having access to a modular, software-driven actuation platform represents a meaningful step forward,” added Battisti. “It enables greater flexibility in seat design, simplifies integration across different programmes, and supports faster time-to-market while maintaining the highest standards of safety and reliability.”
