Aircraft Seating Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Aircraft Seating Market is projected to expand from USD 9.82 Billion in 2025 to USD 13.02 Billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 4.81%. This sector encompasses the engineering and manufacturing of seat assemblies for both commercial and business aviation, prioritizing passenger safety and comfort. The market's upward trajectory is primarily fueled by the swift recovery of air passenger volumes and the strategic imperative for airlines to upgrade fleets for greater efficiency, generating urgent demand for both line-fit and retrofit options. Data from the International Air Transport Association indicates that global revenue passenger kilometers rose by 10.4 percent in 2024 compared to the prior year, a surge that directly drives increased orders for new planes and cabin updates to optimize revenue and passenger capacity.

However, the market faces a substantial hurdle in the form of enduring global supply chain volatility. Manufacturers are grappling with deficits in critical raw materials and certified components, leading to production delays and interruptions in the delivery of seat shipsets to original equipment manufacturers. This supply bottleneck hampers the ability of suppliers to effectively clear growing order backlogs and poses significant planning risks for airlines attempting to expand their capacity.

Market Drivers

The rapid modernization and expansion of commercial fleets serve as a major driver for the global aircraft seating industry. Airlines are actively replacing older aircraft with fuel-efficient models to reduce operating costs and achieve sustainability goals, creating substantial demand for line-fit seating assemblies. Airbus reported in its 'Full-Year 2024 Results' in January 2025 that it delivered 766 commercial aircraft globally, highlighting the consistent industrial output needed to sustain this fleet transition. This steady delivery pace guarantees ongoing demand for various seating types, from high-density economy rows to intricate business class suites.

Concurrently, the increasing shift toward premium economy and business class layouts is reshaping market value and driving design innovation. Carriers are retrofitting current cabins and ordering new aircraft with premium-focused configurations to secure higher yields from corporate and leisure travelers, prompting manufacturers to create space-efficient, ergonomic designs with greater privacy. According to the International Air Transport Association's '2024 World Air Transport Statistics' released in August 2025, international premium travel expanded by 11.8 percent, outperforming other categories. This trend boosts financial performance across the supply chain, as evidenced by Recaro Aircraft Seating's March 2025 report of €588 million in revenue, driven by strong product adoption.

Market Challenges

Persistent volatility within the global supply chain constitutes a severe obstacle limiting the growth of the Global Aircraft Seating Market. This disruption involves critical shortages of certified materials, including aerospace-grade aluminum and fire-resistant textiles, as well as delays in acquiring essential components like electronic actuators and wiring for in-flight entertainment. These scarcities compel manufacturers to lengthen lead times, frequently causing them to miss delivery deadlines for seat shipsets needed by original equipment manufacturers. As a result, new aircraft production is bottlenecked and cabin retrofit projects are delayed, hindering the industry's capacity to meet rising demand.

This supply chain dysfunction effectively restricts the market's revenue potential by capping the number of products that can be completed and invoiced. In 2024, the International Air Transport Association noted that the aviation sector experienced a 30 percent deficit in expected aircraft deliveries, with only 1,254 units reaching operators. This decline in deliveries leads directly to fewer line-fit seating installations and postponed fleet modernization efforts, causing financial stagnation for seating suppliers despite having strong order books.

Market Trends

A key trend in the market is the shift toward ultra-lightweight composite and non-metallic seat frames as airlines aim to reduce structural weight and improve fuel economy. Manufacturers are progressively abandoning standard aluminum alloys in favor of advanced materials like carbon fiber composites and titanium to build durable yet significantly lighter seat structures. This evolution is especially vital for single-aisle fleets where efficiency is crucial, fostering the creation of frames that lower fuel consumption without sacrificing comfort. In April 2025, Global Business Press reported in 'Expliseat Showcases New Lightweight Seating' that the new TiSeat 2X is 30 percent lighter than rival models, directly aiding in lower carbon emissions per passenger and enhanced fleet metrics.

Simultaneously, the widespread adoption of enclosed mini-suites and privacy doors in business class is transforming the premium segment, requiring advanced manufacturing techniques for high-value cabins. Airlines are upgrading long-haul aircraft with these "business-plus" features to offer an experience closer to first class, necessitating seats with integrated sliding doors, taller partitions, and full lie-flat capabilities. This requirement has driven a sharp increase in the production of complex suite hardware as carriers vie to provide exclusive, private spaces. According to Runway Girl Network's February 2025 article, 'Safran’s aircraft interiors business returns to profitability,' deliveries of business class seats surged to 2,482 units in 2024 from 983 the previous year, highlighting the intense industrial effort to fulfill the backlog for these privacy-oriented designs.

Key Players Profiled in the Aircraft Seating Market

• RECARO Aircraft Seating GmbH & Co. KG
• JAMCO Corporation
• Thompson Aero
• Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company Limited
• RTX Corporation
• Expliseat S.A.S.
• ZIM Aircraft Seating GmbH
• Geven SPA
• Aviointeriors s.p.a.
• Mirus Aircraft Seating Ltd.

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Aircraft Seating Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Aircraft Seating Market, by Aircraft Type:

• Narrow-Body Aircraft
• Wide-body Aircraft
• Regional Aircraft
• Business Aircraft

Aircraft Seating Market, by Class Type:

• Economy Class
• Premium Economy Class
• Business Class
• First Class

Aircraft Seating Market, by Seat Type:

• Pilot /Co-pilot Seats
• Cabin Crew Seats
• Passenger Seats

Aircraft Seating Market, by Sales Channel Type:

• OEM
• Aftermarket

Aircraft Seating Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Aircraft Seating Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

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