British team James Park Associates have designed the widest and most luxurious Business Class seat in the world for the new Singapore Airlines A380. The seat is an important feature of the giant airliner, which will made its first commercial flight between Singapore and Sydney on October 25-26th. This follows the aircraft's high profile delivery to Singapore Airlines on October 15th.  

The seat is designed to provide each traveller with their own comfortable and luxurious private area within a Business Class cabin which, uniquely, occupies 60% of the upper deck. The resulting cut in noise intrusion from the engines is complemented by a seat design which reduces noise travel around the cabin, further enhancing the sense of calm. Furthermore, passengers can expect the standard of materials and craftsmanship previously only associated with First Class travel.  

At 86 centimetres (34 inches), the seat is the widest ever designed for Business Class - almost as wide as a standard single bed - and folds completely flat to ensure that business travellers get a great night's sleep. The unique seat configuration makes the most of the space available on board, providing private space to the passenger at a pitch lower than the industry standard. The seat design also allows hand luggage to be stored in-seat, allowing the removal of the centre overhead bins, thereby opening up the Business Class cabin.  

The seat draws on James Park Associates' extraordinary 25-year pedigree of designing bespoke transport interiors and luxury interior environments, and builds on the agency's long-standing relationship with Singapore Airlines.

Founder James Park says: "The launch of the Airbus A380 is a pivotal moment for the aviation world and it has been a privilege working with Singapore Airlines to create this ground-breaking Business Class seat.  

"Just like the A380, the seat sets new standards in design and passenger experience, as well as delivering great benefits for the cabin crew and the airline itself.  

"The design of our seat means that passengers can sit, eat, sleep, work and relax in total comfort. Being able to move around in it also means they avoid postural fixity."

The seat also offers superb benefits for the airline, with a weight reduction of at least 15% over seats with comparable features. This leads to considerable fuel savings. The designers have managed to reduce the weight by using carbon fibre, using a membrane seat back rather than the traditional aluminium, and reducing the number of actuators to two, without losing any functionality. This also means reduced maintenance costs. However, one of the most significant contributors to the reduction in weight is the unpalletised design, meaning that the seat is fixed directly to the aircraft and can be removed individually for maintenance.  

JPA were chosen following a tender process, open to a number of international design agencies, during which they presented their conceptual work. JPA were subsequently selected to develop the work to production, taking two concepts forward before the final design was chosen. JPA's final responsibilities included:

·         A brand new seat and shell design

·         Conceptual engineering

·         Prototyping (full size and scale models)

·         Material specification

·         Manufacturing liaison

·         Aircraft layout and

·         Interior fittings, including cupboards, baby bassinets and monuments.

During the process, a number of patents have been generated and are jointly owned by JPA and Singapore Airlines. Taking three years from design to manufacture, the Business Class cabin arrangement boasts a unique one-two-one configuration, offering every passenger direct aisle access. Forward-facing and 76 inches long in its bed configuration, the seat allows all passengers to lie back at full stretch, and its width means that natural sleeping positions – such as the foetal position – can be adopted with ease.  

James Park concludes:   "We chose to work on this project precisely because the Business Class seat presents designers with the greatest challenge and is perceived by long-haul carriers as one of the most important parts of the aviation market. There are numerous concept seats on the market for all classes of air travel, each claiming unique features. However, together with Singapore Airlines, we have taken the bold step of putting a truly unique 'patented' concept into production.  

"This has been a rare chance to produce a product that has really made a difference and with a little ingenuity and determination, we have created something special for Singapore Airlines. Singapore Airlines are great clients to work with and it has been fantastic to have the opportunity to work with them again."