UK-based aircraft interior refurbishment specialist, Starling Aerospace, has acquired the assets of former seating manufacturer, Pitch Aircraft Seating Systems, for an undisclosed sum. Starling is now ramping up its factory to begin manufacturing the Pitch PF3000 (triple) and PF2000 (double) economy seat models, which are already certified for the Airbus narrowbody family of aircraft.
In addition to acquiring the intellectual property and patents for all designs from Pitch Aircraft Seating, which ceased trading during the pandemic, Starling has taken delivery of more than 200 PF3000 seats from the previous owner’s inventory, which are ready for installation.
The PF3000 and PF2000 seats are sculpted for optimal leg room in high-density cabins (an additional 3 inches is claimed over a standard economy seat), with passengers as tall as 2m (6’5”) able to be accommodated. The seats are also lightweight, with a trimmed seat weighing under 10kg.
Starling has bigger plans for its seating operations, and intends to launch a family of economy and premium economy configurations for single-aisle fleets within the next 12 months. The seats will be suitable for all Airbus and Boeing short-haul aircraft.
Commenting on the acquisition, Steve Swift, co-owner and director of Starling Aerospace commented: “Starling’s acquisition of Pitch Aircraft Seating represents a major milestone for our company, which will accelerate our growth ambitions and help take the business to the next level, in terms of manufacturing and engineering design capability.”
Coralie Wigg, co-owner and director, added: “Having the ability to develop and build our own range of seats will greatly enhance Starling’s existing service portfolio, which encompasses the whole aircraft cabin. We are already looking at options for additional factory sites in order to scale-up manufacturing capacity, and are having discussions with customers looking for an economy seating solution.”
The acquisition forms part of a positive period for Starling Aerospace, which reports that 2024 was a record year of delivering customer projects, with turnover increasing by 25%.
In response to increased demand for its aircraft interior expertise from private, corporate and commercial airline customers, Starling has also expanded its in-house fabrication and manufacturing capabilities, with a secondary ‘six figure’ investment. This expansion includes a twin-booth paint facility, additional CNC machinery, and a laser-guided machine tool probing and inspection system.
