It seems like Cathay has just opened the lid of the business class of its future 777 fleet today with a teaser video, which will replace the existing Super Diamond and Cirrus Business Class seat that is found across the long-haul widebodied fleet of today.
Interestingly, there hasn’t been a lot of detail around the announcement, but there are some tell-tale signs that this is a JPA product through-and-through, including most evidently the naming architecture of the video which has JPA embedded in it. Now this is most certainly the JPA Design and Williams Advanced Engineering ‘AirTek’ seat which is arguably one of the lightest, if not the lightest herringbone business class seat in the skies.
Now dubbed the Cathay ‘Aria’, this seat utilises a monocoque structure, less moving parts and a lighter composite material to make significant savings to an airline, while using the latest manufacturing processes to deliver a better passenger experience and finish.
Being Cathay, the airline has opted for more luxurious natural materials rather than the athleisure trend that JPA’s catalogue product catalogue touts. There’s a sense of calming neutral tones, which are more in line with Cathay’s new A321 product rather than the existing long haul business class. We love the moveable wooden side table which houses the storage below, and what isn’t shown in this moody teaser video is the seats ability to store baggage below the seat too.
Let’s just hope this lightweight seat feels sturdy, has a more reliable entry into service than the airline’s Super Diamond 2.0 and that the passenger feedback on this launch product is as good as we hope it will be. One thing is for sure, it once again sets the precedent of Cathay investing into new and exciting inflight products, and putting itself on the front foot in the region in delivering innovation and enhancements to the passenger experience.
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