Eager to improve the sustainability credentials of aircraft cabins, high-performance thermoplastic specialist SIMONA Boltaron in 2021 introduced recycled-grade sheet for interiors.

Featuring a minimum 50% recycled content, and initially offered in limited colors and textures, the so-called 9865 Terreform-branded material was, by 2025, available in 22 carefully curated colors.

Matching very deep or rich colors to the material remained a challenge, however. And so, when determining the percentage of recycled content to be used in Terreform, SIMONA Boltaron recently decided not to allow perfect to be the enemy of good, to quote the old adage.

“At that point, we can say, ‘let’s play around with the formulation. Maybe it’s 30% recycled content versus 50%,” SIMONA Boltaron marketing manager Valerie Glover explained to Runway Girl Network at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg.

“So, it wouldn’t necessarily be 9865, but we’re trying to at least get to that entry point where the airlines are more comfortable with saying, ‘okay, it’s going to meet the color standard. It’s going to meet the aesthetic standards that we’re expecting, but we can still get at least a percentage of recycled content.’”

As such, the Newcomerstown, Ohio-headquartered firm is now offering Terreform with nearly unlimited color matching and its full portfolio of textures.

The FAR rated sheet can be used for a variety of aircraft interior components, including instrument panel housings and air ducts; class dividers and bulkhead laminates; galley and lavatory components; bull noses, gap covers and moldings; and passenger service units (PSUs).

Said Glover:

We’re basically saying, ‘come to us. We’ll figure it out.’ We’re offering our pressed textures now and all of our extruded textures for Terreform, which is a huge change. We’re trying to meet all of the aesthetic standards by offering the industry a workable solution.

This new, more flexible approach comes at a time when SIMONA Boltaron is innovating with new textures, including those that mimic organic materials like wood or linen.

Fluted or ribbed textures can also be achieved.

The firm’s messaging is resonating with designers, airlines and environmentally conscious seatmakers. Optimares used Terreform on its SoFab premium seat concept in the past. “This year, Unum has Terreform on their concept seat” at AIX, Glover noted in Hamburg.

A square of Terreform, in a deep maroon color, was also part of an impressive array of sustainable materials featured on Unum’s stand as part of a CMF (color, materials and finish) sustainability corner, showcased in collaboration with the seatmaker’s industrial design partner Acumen.

“We try to curate a range of products that have got something to say about sustainability, in one of two camps: either they’ve improved the process to diminish its impact, or they’ve made the product itself sustainable,” explained Chris Brady, founder and CEO of Unum, which is focused on producing business class seats that are “reliably comfortable, responsibly made.”

A key way to drive weight savings in aircraft cabins, and ergo fuel and CO2 savings, is by slashing weight. This is where another relatively new material from SIMONA Boltaron, its 4380 sheet — which was released last year, is billed as being “ideal for tray tables,” and is lighter than predecessor 4330 — also has a role to play in improving airlines’ environmental credentials.

“It has 10 degrees Celsius higher heat distortion temperature. So we’re seeing more adoption of that material in the Asian markets, for example, where they’re serving like hot soups or hot teas on the plane, so where they’re needing that higher temperature standard. And it’s also 8% lighter so if you calculate that over, say, 150 seats, it does start to add up,” Glover said.

More widely, she said the firm is securing “a mix” of business to support both premium and economy seating programs. Its content was featured on Aviointeriors’ stand at AIX. And it has supplied advanced thermoplastic materials to several of Italian seatmaker Geven’s airline programs, including two big existing projects.

“For a major airline’s Airbus A220 fleet, Geven is supplying its new Essenza EL economy-class seat, incorporating Boltaron 9815N for key trim-and-finish components,” SIMONA Boltaron revealed in a statement published at AIX.

“SIMONA Boltaron is also supporting Geven on another important milestone program in the overseas market. The airline selected Geven’s Comoda for its business class featuring Boltaron 4330 with a metallic finish to enhance the seat’s visual expression while maintaining the durability and compliance required for aircraft interiors.” The latter program sees over 150 shipsets planned.

Also during AIX, TCI Aircraft Interiors confirmed that SIMONA Boltaron provided exclusive materials for the thermoplastic components on its Crystal business class suite, including Boltaron 9815N Pearlescent in three custom colorways that were developed specifically for the program, plus Boltaron 9850N, which was utilized as a substrate within laminated assemblies to achieve critical flammability performance.

Linefit deliveries of Crystal are scheduled to begin in July 2026 and fleet-wide integrations will continue through 2027

Meanwhile, a ‘seat of the future’ concept, designed by SIMONA Boltaron, continues to prove thought provoking.

The concept considers how Terreform could color the cabins of tomorrow, as more airlines seek to offer seats that are both lightweight and feature recycled content — whilst meeting their aesthetic vision.