Aircraft Seating Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report, by Aircraft Type, Component & Material, Seating Type and End User : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2030

Aircraft Seating Market Outlook 2030

The global aircraft seating market was valued at $4.24 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach $8.21 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 6.9% from 2021 to 2030.n aircraft seating is a seat on an airliner in which passengers are accommodated for the duration of the journey. Such seats are usually arranged in rows running across the airplane's fuselage. A diagram of such seats in an aircraft is called an aircraft seat map. Aircraft seats are specially designed to cater to the needs of passengers, and offer functions such as recliner seats and power ports. The seats are made up of components such as structure, foams, actuators, and electrical fittings, which are fire resistant, insulated, durable, lightweight, and strong. Seat elements such as seat covers and foams are made with different materials, including nylon, artificial leathers, silicon, polyethylene, and fire-blocking textile, among others. Most full service airline operators also include personal video screens as part of the in-flight entertainment system on long-haul aircraft.

The factors such as growing demand for seats installed with IFEC systems, maintenance & retrofitting of existing aircraft and increasing aircraft production are expected to drive the market growth. However, high cost & regulations associated with the installation of aircraft seats and increase in operational costs followed by seasonal serviceability hinders the market growth. Further, growth in Urban Air Mobility (UAM) platform and shift in preference to provide enhanced passenger comfort are some of the factors that are expected to offer lucrative opportunities for market growth.

The market is segmented on the basis of aircraft type, component & material, seating type, end user and region. Based on aircraft type, it is classified into civil aircraft, helicopters and urban air mobility (UAM). By components & materials, it is divided into cushion & filling material, structure material, upholsteries & seat cover, seat actuators and others. On the basis of seating type, it is categorized into economy class, premium economy class, first class and business class. By end user, it is divided into OEM and MRO. Region-wise, it is studied across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. 

Key Market Players

The key players operating in the aircraft seating market are Acro Aircraft Seating Ltd, Airbus S.A.S., Aviointeriors S.p.A., Geven S.p.a., Jamco Corporation, Raytheon Technologies Corporation, Recaro Aircraft Seating GmbH & CO. KG, Safran, Swire Pacific Limited and The Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Ltd. 

Growing demand for seats installed with IFEC systems

In-flight entertainment plays a vital role in providing comfort and entertainment to air passengers. The need for personalized entertainment has contributed to the increasing demand for seats installed with in-flight entertainment systems. Most airlines are adopting wireless and seat-centric IFEC solutions to enhance the flying experience of passengers. Moreover, the growing adoption of seats furnished with cutting edge technology-based comforts and advanced amenities is expected to help improve the long-haul in-flight traveling experience of the passenger. Therefore, the leading aircraft seat manufacturers and airline operators are focusing on providing a highly comfortable, safe, and pleasant aircraft seating to the passengers. In addition, existing aircrafts are being retrofitted with advanced products such as IFEC systems, as airlines around the globe strive to provide more comfort in terms of seating and other services, which include in-flight entrainment and in-flight connectivity for live streaming and online shopping. Furthermore, OEMs are also focusing on development of advanced seat structures integrated with advanced IFE systems for commercial, long-haul flights across the world. Thus, the growing demand for seats installed with IFEC systems is anticipated to drive the growth of the aircraft seating market during forecast period.

Maintenance & retrofitting of existing aircraft

Since airlines are focused on projecting their brand image among the passengers, retrofitting and maintenance of the existing aircraft have emerged as viable solutions for airline operators to offer differentiated services and achieve the correct balance between cost and aesthetics. Hence, airline operators are increasingly retrofitting their fleet and upgrading their aircraft seats, as the old seats have become outdated. Also, several leading airlines are engaged in a modernization plan to standardize their fleet. It includes stripping out the main cabin’s economy seats and replacing them with premium economy seats that are wider and offer more legroom.

For instance, in August 2020, RECARO Aircraft Seating GmbH & Co. KG received a major contract from Wizz Air to provide 31,767 units of Recaro SL3710 seats for 146 Airbus narrow body aircraft. In addition, the introduction of advanced and lightweight materials for cabin seats has led to the upgrade of existing aircraft seats to new seats. Upgrades help lower the operating expenses of the aircraft, as modern aircraft seat components such as IFEC systems, actuators, and seat structures, are constructed from lightweight materials, thus reducing the overall aircraft weight. Therefore, as 35-50% of the operating expense is on fuel, airlines are undertaking upgrade projects to reduce costs and remain competitive. Thus, the maintenance & retrofitting of existing aircraft is expected to propel the growth of aircraft seating market.

High cost and regulations associated with the installation of aircraft seats

The adoption of advanced technology-based systems and equipment in the seats increases the initial cost of the aircraft seating. In addition, considering overall reduced weight and fuel consumption, several market players are introducing lightweight materials and components to build aircraft cabin including seat, which generally is associated with higher cost.  Moreover, owing to the COVID pandemic and lockdown restrictions, most of the airline operators have failed to generate a considerable revenue. Therefore, the installation or replacement projects of the aircraft seating with premium design seats have been put on hold by these airline operators. Also, the stringent regulations such as fire safety regulations, overall seat weight restrictions and others, associated with aircraft seats act as another challenge for the aircraft seating market. For instance, aircraft seats are required to withstand a dynamic 16g force. In the 16g test, two distinct dynamic tests are conducted, which ultimately stimulates the loads that can be expected in an impact-survivable accident. This helps the passengers to survive in case of a fatal accident. The selection of materials for seating applications largely depends upon such regulations. Composite parts excel in most of the parameters with the advantages of being light in weight. Thus, the high cost and regulations associated with the installation of aircraft seats are expected to hamper the growth of the market during forecast period.

Growth in Urban Air Mobility (UAM) platform

A variety of technological advancements and industry investments in electrification, automation, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and air traffic management are enabling innovations in aviation, such as new aircraft designs, services, and business models. Urban air mobility (UAM) is a broad concept that enables consumers’ access to on-demand air mobility throughout urban areas. The rapid pace of technology improvement has turned the concept of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) into an attractive business proposition. With the increasing road congestion, especially in megacities, people are constantly searching for better and safer ways to travel to work and other destinations. In recent years, on-demand aviation services similar to transportation network companies such as Uber or Lyft, are entering the marketplace. Globally, 12 app- and web-based, on-demand UAM passenger services using helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft were operational as of March 2020. A number of companies have announced plans to launch passenger UAM services using VTOL and other novel aircraft designs. For instance, a few planned services include Volocopter in Singapore in 2021, EHang in Linz, Austria in 2021, Vertical Aerospace in London in 2022, and Joby Aviation (also acquired Uber Elevate) in 2024. Moreover, a number of automakers have announced investments in advanced air mobility (AAM) such as airport shuttles and air taxis, including Aston Martin, Audi, Daimler, Geely, General Motors, Hyundai, Porsche, Stellantis, and Toyota. Therefore, growth in such Urban Air Mobility (UAM) platform is offering the lucrative growth opportunities for the aircraft seating market. 

Covid-19 Impact Analysis

• The COVID-19 crisis is creating uncertainty in the market, massive slowing of supply chain, falling business confidence, and increasing panic among the customer segments.
• Governments of different regions have already announced lockdown and temporary shutdown of industries, thereby adversely affecting the overall production and sales.
• The temporary lockdown of various design, development, and manufacturing facilities is limiting the market growth. Sluggish global economies with a major focus on fighting the pandemic will also negatively impact the market demand.
• Lockdown situation has occurred due to the rising cases of COVID-19 that temporarily terminated various operations in the aviation sector such as manufacturing, raw material supply, and aircraft deliveries, among others.
• Domestic air passenger numbers have been returning to the pre-pandemic levels, particularly in developing countries such as China and Russia.

Key Benefits For Stakeholders

• This study presents analytical depiction of the global aircraft seating market analysis along with current trends and future estimations to depict imminent investment pockets.
• The overall aircraft seating market opportunity is determined by understanding profitable trends to gain a stronger foothold.
• The report presents information related to the key drivers, restraints, and opportunities of the global aircraft seating market with a detailed impact analysis.
• The current aircraft seating market is quantitatively analyzed from 2020 to 2030 to benchmark the financial competency.
• Porter’s five forces analysis illustrates the potency of the buyers and suppliers in the industry.

Key Market Segments

By Aircraft Type

• Civil aircraft
• Helicopters
• UAM

By Components & Materials

• Cushion & Filling Material
• Structure Material
• Upholsteries & Seat Cover
• Seat Actuators
• Others

By Seating Type

• Economy class
• Premium economy class
• First class
• Business class

By End-user

• OEM
• MRO

By Region

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
  • Mexico
• Europe
  • UK
  • Germany 
  • France 
  • Italy
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia-Pacific
  • China
  • Japan 
  • India
  • South Korea
  • Rest of Asia-Pacific
• LAMEA
  • Latin America
  • Middle East
  • Africa

KEY PLAYERS

• Acro Aircraft Seating Ltd
• Airbus S.A.S.
• Aviointeriors S.p.A.
• Geven S.p.a.
• Jamco Corporation
• Raytheon Technologies Corporation
• Recaro Aircraft Seating GmbH & CO. KG
• Safran
• Swire Pacific Limited
• The Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Ltd.

  Aircraft Seating Market Report Highlights

Aspects	Details
By Aircraft Type	Civil aircraft Helicopters UAM
By Components & Materials	Cushion & Filling Material Structure Material Upholsteries & Seat Cover Seat Actuators Others
By Seating Type	Economy class Premium economy class First class Business class
By End-user	OEM MRO
By Region	North America  (U.S., Canada, Mexico) Europe  (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, Russia, Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific  (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) LAMEA  (Brazil, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Argentina, Rest of LAMEA)
Key Market Players	Swire Pacific Limited, Acro Aircraft Seating Ltd, The Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Ltd., Recaro Aircraft Seating GmbH & CO. KG, Raytheon Technologies Corporation, Aviointeriors S.p.A., Jamco Corporation, Airbus S.A.S., Geven S.p.a., Safran

Analyst Review

Aircraft seating market is market is projected to witness considerable growth, owing to increase in fleet size, surge in demand for premium economy & economy class seats, and development of new aircraft. Also, the increasing cabin density in conjunction with space limitations is providing a positive outlook for the market growth. Moreover, companies operating in this industry are adopting various innovative techniques to provide customers with advanced and innovative feature offerings.  

For instance, airline interior manufacturer Aviointeriors showed off a new concept in airline seating called the Skyrider 2.0. The manufacturer has said that it provides adequate comfort while increasing the number of passengers by 20%. Aviointerior CEO said that the seats weigh 50% less than standard economy class seats is cheaper and easier to maintain. He also claims the seats could be at the frontier of low-cost tickets and can offer a possibility to fly for those who cannot afford it.

The factors such as growing demand for seats installed with IFEC systems, maintenance & retrofitting of existing aircraft and increasing aircraft production are expected to drive the market growth. However, high cost & regulations associated with the installation of aircraft seats and increase in operational costs followed by seasonal serviceability hinders the market growth. Further, growth in Urban Air Mobility (UAM) platform and shift in preference to provide enhanced passenger comfort are some of the factors that are expected to offer lucrative opportunities for market growth.

Among the analyzed regions, Asia-Pacific is the highest revenue contributor, followed by North America, Europe and LAMEA. On the basis of forecast analysis, LAMEA is expected to maintain its lead during the forecast period, owing to increased demand for advanced aircraft seats across the region.

Author Name(s) : Abhay Singh | Lalit Janardhan Katare

Related Tags

• Regional Jets
• Wide Body Aircraft
• Narrow Body Aircraft
• Airlines
• Air Travel