Opera

A350 Business Class Seat

Air France

The Opera A350 business class seat design marks a significant evolution from Air France’s Boeing 777 business class seat. Mark Collins shares some insights into the design process behind Design Investments latest project:

«Initially, the design was based on Stelia Aerospaces’ single-aisle Opera seat, but the opportunity presented by Airbus’ new A350 wide cabin with an additional four inches of width led to a complete rethinking and redevelopment of the product. This extra space allowed us to optimise the seat footprint for Air France, ensuring that every inch was used to enhance passenger comfort and convenience.»

Mark Collins

Managing Director Design Investment

The new design seamlessly integrates Air France’s design language and the innovative “3F” concept: full-flat bed, full privacy, and full aisle access and is designed to enhance passenger comfort and privacy flight experience unprecedented ways.

The Opera A350 is a new herringbone seat product addition to Stelia Aerospace long-haul seats. Based on their narrow body herringbone seat concept, Design Investment was entrusted to shape the wide body business class seat incorporating a maximum of space otimisation and comfort enhancements as possible.

Optimised Space for Ultimate Comfort

The design process for the Opera A350 started with a thorough analysis of the seat footprint, aimed at maximising the benefits of the A350’s wider cabin. Within this optimised footprint, we were able to make several enhancements: The seat cushion width was expanded to 21 inches, the entrance to the ottoman area was made more generous and a 20-inch monitor screen, the largest in Air France’s business class fleet, was integrated.

Advanced Seat Kinematics

One of the critical aspects of the Opera A350’s design is the specification of seat kinematics. The seat features a vertical drop of the top of the backrest, which optimises the space between the back-shell and the seat backrest and ensures a maximum amount of space and comfort for the passenger without compromising on privacy or functionality.

Enhanced Features for Modern Travellers

The Opera A350 introduces several new features aimed at enhancing the passenger experience: An integrated tablet seat and IFE controller with easy access to controls and entertainment for the passenger, making their journey more enjoyable and additional passenger stowage space added in the footwell, providing passengers with convenient places to store personal items.

Consistent Comfort Across the Cabin

One of the standout features of the Opera A350 design is its consistency in providing optimised comfort and features, regardless of a passenger’s position in the cabin. This uniformity ensures that all business class passengers can enjoy the same high level of comfort and convenience.

Sophisticated Design for Front Row Monuments

The same approach of optimising the seat footprint has been applied the business class cabin monuments. Both with regards to space for the passenger as well as stowage required for the service to this passengers. All front row seats benefit from additional space, thanks to the design of open front row monuments offering extra legroom, additional stowage in the form of a drawer for shoes and a wardrobe.

The lateral front row seats in the second business class cabin zone have been further improved and offer extra space on the ottoman for baby bassinets. Whereas the seats in the center are part of a complex aircraft monument design ensuring that passengers can enjoy ample space and functionality and the crew have an optimised work environment.

Passenger Comfort and French Elegance

The Opera A350 business class seat is a testament to Air Frances’ commitment to innovation and passenger comfort. By leveraging the additional space provided by Airbus’ new wide cabin, Design Investment has created a business class product that is not only luxurious but also highly functional. The Opera A350 offers a full-lie-flat bed, full privacy, and full aisle access, making it the epitome of the “3F” concept. Whether traveling for business or leisure, passengers can expect a journey that is both comfortable and sophisticated, thanks to the meticulous design and thoughtful features of the Opera A350.