Northern Ireland’s Causeway Aero Group produces lightweight yet passenger-friendly seating for Pitch Aircraft Systems

Cabin interiors and airframe structures solution producer Causeway Aero produces lightweight seating for Pitch Aircraft Seating Systems.

Pitch recognised the need to maximise both individual room but also the overall perception of more cabin space.

It became the first aircraft seating manufacturer to develop a fixed recline economy seat into the single aisle passenger aircraft market, with the original design recently upgraded to the PF3000 model. The new model offers an additional three inches of leg room over a standard economy seat at a 28 inch pitch.

Seat weighs just 10 kgs

The seat can accommodate passengers as tall as 2m (6’5”), yet weighs only 10kgs.

David Rice VP of Sales and Marketing Pitch Aircraft Seating Systems said: “It’s been designed specifically as a fixed back seat, so it sits at 1.5 per cent recline to stop anyone reclining the seat in your face. It comfortable the moment you sit on it, its also lightweight, durable and has an unparalleled industry warranty.”

Seat designed with ‘human interface’ in mind

In spite of the fixed back and higher density, David Rice said the seat had been designed with the comfort of the modern, connected passenger in mind: “The design heritage is from industrial designers, Design Q and they actually think of the human interface of the aircraft seat. We’ve actually got the seat designed so if you have a laptop out you can sit and read your screen at a readable angle.”

Michael Rice is the CEO of Causeway Aero Group, which carries out full contract production and manufacturer and scaling up in production. “Our production people can be working hand in hand with design to keep accelerating the development of the product and make it even more durable and lightweight going forward.”

The seats are produced in Northern Ireland which has an aerospace heritage and supply chain which included manufacture for companies including Bombardier, Rockwell Collins and Thomsons.

Northern Ireland has ‘make it happen approach to life’

Michael Rice continued: “I think the biggest thing is that it’s a lot of family companies, close knit geographically, they’ve had a tremendous reinvestment ratio in their plant and machinery.”

“There is a significant cost advantage versus mainland England or versus mainland Europe as well. Northern Ireland revolves around a make it happen approach to life – and that’s what aerospace is all about – on time every time.”

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