Aircraft interior designers are accustomed to working in stealth mode for airlines given the hotly competitive nature of the industry, especially around the development of premium seating products. Factorydesign is no exception: the award-winning design agency is known for exercising discretion to ensure it never gets ahead of its own customers’ messaging.

In 1998, the London-headquartered firm was less than a year old when it was commissioned to create an interior for what would be Concorde’s last manifestation: Concorde Alpha Foxtrot. And in the ensuing years it has proven to be a trendsetter in aviation and indeed in other verticals. It has brought first class travel design ethos to infusion therapy suites for cancer patients, as an example.

Now, as full-flat, all-aisle access business class seats arrive on narrowbodies flying long haul, and front-row, biz-plus seats further color the premium passenger experience, Factorydesign continues to be a key partner to airlines and seatmakers.

After a year or so of product reveals, and in tandem with the launch of its new web site, Factorydesign is shining a spotlight on some of its recent and prominent cabin projects that serve as a bellwether for where industry is headed. “Well, what can we say, we’ve been busy,” Factorydesign enthuses in an update.

Of note, Factorydesign assisted Iberia in customizing Thompson Aero Seating’s VantageSOLO seat for business class aboard the first Airbus A321XLR and the carrier’s subsequent new deliveries; redesigned business class for Aer Lingus’ new A321XLRs; and worked in collaboration with Virgin Atlantic’s talented in-house design team to develop The Retreat Suite, Upper Class Suite and The Loft for the airline’s Airbus A330-900neo, among other projects.

Iberia

“The vision behind Iberia’s A321XLR is to enable the airline to use a single-aisle aircraft for long-haul flights, and maintain the same premium service enjoyed by passengers on their widebody aircraft, making VantageSOLO the perfect seat,” says Factorydesign in reference to the lie-flat, direct-aisle-access, inward-facing herringbone seats now flying on the carrier’s two-class A321XLR twinjets.

With an eye on promoting both well-being and luxury, Factorydesign says soft, natural elements were carefully selected for the trim and finish of Iberia’s business class seats.

Indeed, the business class product feels like a natural evolution for Iberia, with positive changes in CMF (color, materials and finish) observed by Runway Girl Network when it explored the cabin aboard Iberia’s first A321XLR in November 2024.

Aer Lingus

When Aer Lingus sought to create an inviting and relaxing interior on its first A321XLR, it also turned to Factorydesign, this time for a refreshed and customized version of Thompson’s popular Vantage seat, which has long been a fixture on the carrier’s Airbus narrowbodies flying long haul.

“We tailored the design to provide improved aesthetics and ergonomics, enhancing the passenger experience by providing more personal stowage and space around the seat,” Factorydesign explains of the business class refresh for Aer Lingus’ A321XLRs.

And indeed, when RGN flew business on an Aer Lingus A321XLR this spring, the clean lines, careful stitching and updated trim and finish of the seat were notable. So too was the additional space.

Front-row, biz-plus seating on both narrowbody and widebody aircraft is increasingly seen as an essential feature in business class, and it’s no surprise that Factorydesign has had a hand in this trend. Intriguingly, the firm is now able to share more of the back story.

Virgin Atlantic

“A long, long time ago, we were asked to undertake a design study into what benefits may come from increasing the pitch on the already successful Thompson Vantage XL,” Factorydesign confides.

“At the end of a detailed design study, almost as a postscript, came the observation ‘what if we remove the stowages above the front row footwell..? we could create a first class seat.’ Thompson Aero Seating became believers, and we developed the concept further, before it was sold to early-adopters China Eastern and Malaysia Airlines. The WOW factor was not lost on Virgin Atlantic who, for their A330-900, embraced and enriched the idea.”

Factorydesign says it worked with the Virgin design team to deliver a harmonious and powerful cabin brand message, and a compelling and engaging passenger experience.

Delta

The design firm is also thrilled to see its longstanding work for Virgin’s partner, Delta Air Lines — the doored Vantage XL-based Delta One Suite and the carrier’s new A321 domestic first class with winged privacy — “dressed up in their new clothes with the thoughtfully refreshed” CMF, as revealed last year by the US major.

Though it is perhaps best known for its design work for airlines’ premium seating projects, Factorydesign is also involved in economy class, having recently designed a fully-featured widebody economy seat for Jiatai. The so-called JT1122E marks the fourth new product designed by Factorydesign for the AVIC-owned company.

Factorydesign is also tasked with creating an all-new cabin interior for the Deutsche Aircraft D328eco program. “Wonderful to see the achievement by our friends at Deutsche Aircraft of the roll-out ceremony last month for their regional turboprop D328eco TAC1 (first test aircraft). Huge congratulations,” says Factorydesign.

Related Articles:

• Delta goes darker, moodier with new cabin CMF
• Hands-on with Iberia’s A321XLR business class seat
• Aer Lingus takes first two A321XLRs
• Iberia takes first A321XLR, will retrofit narrowbodies with L bins
• Virgin Atlantic on designing safaris and stoking the fire of brand love
• Start-up BermudAir turns to Factorydesign for new aisle-class suites
• JetZero and Factorydesign unveil cabin concepts for BWB jet
• Delta’s new ‘domestic’ A321neo: the shape of things to come?
• The Z-bed is back: Factorydesign’s single-aisle Access
• Virgin Retreat Suite: good product in search of a matching experience

Featured image credited to Chris Sloan