Aircraft Seat Material Market

Aircraft Seat Material Market Overview

Aircraft seat market size is forecast to reach $150.1 million by 2027, after growing at a CAGR of 3.5% during 2022-2027. The components used to build the seating arrangement for comfortable passenger accommodation on a flight are known as aircraft seating materials. Airline seats are intended to be lightweight, yet powerful and fire-resistant at the same time, considering passenger convenience as well. With the growing number of carriers and their ongoing efforts to update and expand their fleet, the aircraft seating material market is experiencing healthy growth. Increasing the aerospace industry across various regions, owing to the increasing per-capita income coupled with the increasing population is a key factor influencing the market growth. The upsurge in the need for maintenance and repair of aircraft in the aerospace sector is another prime factor driving the aircraft seat material market growth.

COVID-19 Impact

The COVID-19 outbreak led to major economic problems and challenges for the aviation industry. The production of aircraft disruptively stopped, contributing to a major loss in the total aerospace sectors in 2020. By the end of 2025 owing to the pandemic, global (overall manufacturers) demand for short-haul sized aircraft is expected to drop by 15% (around 1,500 fewer aircraft out of 10,000) and by 30 - 65 percent for long-haul sized craft, according to Welsh Government services and records (around 600 - 1,300 fewer aircraft out of 2,000). With the decrease in aircraft production, the demand for aircraft seat materials for manufacturing aircraft seats had significantly fallen, which had an immediate major impact on the aircraft seat material market.

Report Coverage

The report: “Aircraft Seat Material Market - Forecast (2022-2027)” covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the aircraft seat material Industry.

By Material Type: Structure (Aluminum Frames, Carbon-Fiber Composites, Steels, Fiberglass, Kevlar, and Others), Cushion Filling (Polyurethane, Neoprene, Silicone, Polyethylene, Fire-Blocking Textiles, Ethafoam, and Others), Upholsteries (Polyester, Polyamide/Nylon, Leather, FR Cotton, Wool Blend, and Others), and Plastic Molding (Polycarbonate, ABS, Decorative Vinyl’s, and Plastazote).

By Seat Class: Suite Class, First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy Class, and Economy Class.

By Aircraft Type: Wide Body Aircraft (Large Wide Body Aircraft, Medium Wide Body Aircraft, and Small Wide Body Aircraft), Single Aisle Aircraft, and Regional Transport Aircraft.

By Geography: North America (U.S., Canada, and Mexico), Europe (U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Russia, Belgium, and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia & New Zealand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Rest of APAC), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Rest of South America), Rest of the World (Middle East, and Africa).

Key Takeaways

• Europe dominates the aircraft seat material market, owing to the increasing demand for aircraft in the region. The demand for aircraft is increasing in the region owing to the increasing population and increasing per-capita income.
• Fiberglass, a composite material made of glass fibers and polyester resin, is used for various structural and non-structural items. Owing to its ability to manufacture complex curved shapes it is often used as the aircraft seat material.
• Neoprene is a synthetic rubber material designed to be flexible, durable, resilient, and very resistant to failure and breakdown by compression and water. Owing to the durable quality of neoprene it is considered very useful in seating and other applications.

The structure segment held the largest share in the aircraft seat material market in 2020 and is growing at a CAGR of 3.9% by revenue during 2022-2027. Aerospace structures are often made up of thin-walled structures like plates and shells, which can become dynamically unstable when subjected to high-speed airflow on the outer surface and at a certain critical speed. To ensure that structures can withstand aircraft loads without deforming excessively (changing shape) or breaking, aerospace materials must have high stiffness, resilience, and fracture toughness. In the structure of the aircraft seat, major materials such as aluminum frames, carbon-fiber composites, steels, fiberglass, kevlar, and other materials are currently being used. Additionally, light-weighting is a widely researched and applied concept in a variety of industries, especially in aerospace applications, and is linked to the green aviation concept. Lightweight design entails using less material for a lower density while maintaining or improving technological efficiency. Applying advanced lightweight materials to numerically optimized structures that can be manufactured with suitable manufacturing methods is a popular approach to achieve lightweight design for aerospace components. Thus, the rising demand for lightweight materials in aerospace structures to increase energy efficiency has raised the market growth of the aircraft seat material market.

The business class segment held the second largest share in the aircraft seat material market in 2020 and is growing at a CAGR of 4.2% by revenue during 2022-2027. Business-class continues to be one of the most profitable aviation industries. Airlines are increasingly pushing luxury travelers, and many business-class fares are now merely so great that first-class companies are completely withdrawing them. A substantial quantity of development has been coming to business class chairs over the previous pair of years, with only lately launched some of the world's finest business class chairs. The usage of seat cover fabrics, synthetic and genuine leathers, and seat foam cushions have become the most mandatory materials to manufacture business class seats in air aviation. Especially cover fabrics are seat cover fabrics that are sturdy, stain-resistant, and dimensional consistent even after countless moist cleaning. Using the recent computer-added layout technology, unique patterns are created. Seat cover fabric for fire preventing is also accessible. Whereas seat foam cushion is made of particularly designed graphite foam polyurethane, the fabric is completely resistant to flames and resistant. Passenger convenience is improved particularly for long-haul flights by selecting the material's right hardness and densities. Since business class belongs to a premium segment of services and as the world is noticing the aircraft industry is not booming due to restrictions imposed in travel during the pandemic. Hence, there is lesser demand in the manufacturing of aircraft industries and the materials used in the business segment/class of the airline are lesser in demand. In relevance to the context, the real income of the premium consumers has been somewhat the same but the nature of the expenditure has been affected due to the pandemic and recent recession in the economy.

The single aisle aircraft segment held the largest share in the aircraft seat material market in 2020 and is growing at a CAGR of 3.5% by revenue during 2022-2027. Narrow-body also known as single aisle has 3-4 meters of the fuselage and a seating capacity of 125 to 175 passengers. This aircraft is majorly ordered by the low-cost airline. Some of the Narrow-body aircraft are Airbus 319, A319 Neo and A330Neo, and many more. Over the past decades, the global single-aisle aircraft demand has increased substantially due to various key dynamics such as significant growth and development of low-cost carriers, consolidation in the European and North American market, the impact of fuel prices, and continued market fragmentation. According to Boeing, in 2015 single-aisle fleet consists of approximately 14,100 airplanes. North America leads with more than 3,800 in services. In 2035, the single aisle aircraft market will continue to enjoy robust demand up to 26,730 airplanes valued at US$ 2.8 trillion. Excluding deliveries for noncommercial (military, private, government) uses, a basic average of single-aisle demand is more than 110 planes per month. According to Boeing's forecast, single-aisle aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 will continue to dominate the market, accounting for nearly three-quarters of total sales. Through 2036, the planemaker estimates a need for 29,530 narrow-body planes worth US$ 3.18 trillion. In the year 2020, the halt in various ongoing projects and investments in the aircraft sector has resulted in the slowdown of the single-aisle aircraft which has further affected the growth of the aircraft seat materials market.

Europe held the largest revenue share in the aircraft seat material market in 2020 up to 31.5%. The improving economic conditions and increase in airplane fleet are considered to be the major driver for the market growth in the European region. According to the International Trade Administration (ITA), in 2019, the French aerospace industry recorded sales revenue of €74.3 billion (US$83.4 billion), up 13% from the previous year. And the German aerospace industry posted sales of EUR 41 billion (US$ 46 billion) in 2019, up 2.5 percent from 2018. According to International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Air transport market in the Russian Federation is forecast under the “current trends” scenario to grow by 76% in the next 20 years. By 2037, there will be an additional 58.8 million passenger journeys. The Air transport market in Spain is forecast under the “current trends” scenario to grow by 49% in the next 20 years. This would result in an additional 59.4 million passenger journeys by 2037, which would consecutively increase the demand for airplanes in Spain to achieve the growing fleet in the coming years. And demand for aircraft seat materials will hike in the country for the manufacturing of aircraft. This shows that there will be a significant growth opportunity for the aircraft seat materials market in Europe during the forecast period.

Aircraft Seat Material Market Drivers

Increasing Demand for Carbon Composite Materials Induces the Growth in Seating Materials Market

Carbon fiber composites have various advantages such as light weightiness, less specific gravity than steel, and 10 times more strength than steel which makes it the best pick for applications ranging from fishing rods to aircraft and industrial applications. In the construction of aerospace structures, composite materials are becoming increasingly relevant. Aircraft parts made from composite materials, such as fairings, spoilers, and flight controls, were developed during the 1960s for their weight savings over aluminum parts. New generation large aircraft are designed with all-composite fuselage and wing structures and the repair of these advanced composite materials requires an in-depth knowledge of composite structures, materials, and tooling. The primary advantages of composite materials are their high strength, relatively low weight, and corrosion resistance. With a series of advantages, the demand for these materials is set to see an upsurge in the forecast period. Of the total consumption of carbon fiber composites, approximately 18% goes to aerospace and defense and approximately 40% of the revenue for the material comes from this segment.

Increasing Popularity of Seats Equipped with Cutting-Edge Technology-based Comforts

The growing acceptance of in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) device-activated aircraft seats is influencing the market growth. Seat manufacturers and airlines are concentrating on providing passengers with cabin interiors that are extremely comfortable, clean, and friendly. The growing popularity of seats equipped with cutting-edge technology-based comforts and innovative facilities aid in improving the passenger's long-haul flight experience. Furthermore, premium airline operators are pickier when it comes to selecting an aircraft cabin interior because it has a significant effect on passenger safety and comfort. Additionally, the demand is growing due to an increasing number of premium economy seats available around the world. The demand for premium economy class seats is being driven by increased air traffic and rising expenditure on premium-class travel due to an increase in the number of people with high net worth.

Aircraft Seat Material Market Challenges

Integration of Regulations by Government and Airline Associations Standards

The aircraft market is governed by the airline association’s standards such as AIA, European Union Emission standards, and many more. This is to be followed by the companies before and during the contracts. These regulations are subject to change with the environments to counter the newly established standard by the government for particular countries and regions. Adherence to these changing standards challenges interior products manufacturing companies to continuously innovate by investing in R&D. These changes could hamper the entire value chain of the aircraft interior products. The airline industry is subject to extensive health, security, and environmental regulations, any violation of which could subject us to significant liabilities and penalties.

Aircraft Seat Material Market Landscape

Technology launches, acquisitions, and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the aircraft seat material market. Major players in the aircraft seat material market are Haeco Americas (Swire Pacific Limited), Safran S.A., Jamco Aircraft Interiors Company, Recaro Aircraft Seating, Singapore Technologies Aerospace Ltd., Avio Interiors S.P.A., Thompson Aero Seating Ltd./AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China), Zim Flugsitz GmbH, TSI Aviation Seats, SOISA Aerospace Inc., Collins Aerospace (Raytheon Technologies).

Acquisitions/Technology Launches

• In June 2020, Safran Seats introduced a new portfolio of devices such as Interspace to improve premium economy passengers traveling comfort.
• In January 2019, HAECO Group’s private jet cabin completion specialist announced that it has entered into a collaboration agreement on private jet cabin designs with Eight Partnership.

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