UK seat manufacturer Unum Aircraft Seating has unveiled its new cabin-ready product Unum Two at Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) 2026. It is completing a three-year development program including industrial design, engineering and certification testing. The 21.5-inch (54.6 cm) wide seat is forward-facing and features a privacy door and direct aisle access. Unum Two also uses the company’s patented Scimitar mechanism, which provides passengers with a comfortable position in zero gravity conditions. The emergence of Unum Two poses a significant challenge to current industry leaders: Collins Aerospace, Safran and RECARO aircraft seats. For several years, these companies have found success with reverse herringbone floor plans. Products like the Unum Two show that staggered seating is a viable alternative. What are Unum airplane seats? 1 credit Unum Two’s cabin-ready business class seats are the work of Unum Aircraft Seating. This is a British company led by industry giant Chris Brady. Unum was founded in 2020 near London Gatwick Airport (LGW). It is one of the most exciting innovators in the premium seating industry, striving to win through lightweight design, passenger comfort, reliability and sustainability. The firm’s mission statement states: “We want to become the world’s most trusted airline seat supplier and set a new standard for consistent on-time delivery and inspiring design that is both passenger- and responsibility-focused.” Unum positions itself as “a reliable alternative”. Its products are built on a modular design, which it believes is easier to customize, maintain and upgrade than competitors. It has two key goals. “Reliable comfort” This is about significantly reducing downtime in the event of a seat failure, supported by Through Life’s support team that assists showroom service teams around the world. Secondly, “Responsibly Made” refers to both the positive environmental impact of lighter seats and the fact that most seats are recyclable once airlines decide to retire them. Unum works with its customers to help them identify materials used and disassemble the seat for responsible waste management. Unum collaborates with Acumen to implement its ideas. What did Unum present at AIX 2026? Photo: Unum Aircraft Seatings Unum made waves EX 2026, when the Unum Two product launches after a three-year development program conducted in partnership with Acumen. The seat has everything passengers expect from a horizontal business class cabin. With a width of 21.5 inches (54.6 cm), there is plenty of room to relax. Passengers can also enjoy generous legroom, storage space and a large side console. The seats are designed to be staggered on midsize aircraft, as opposed to the popular reverse herringbone arrangement. NEW Find out what other flight tracking systems are missing Alarms, Holds, NOTAMs – signals in real time, without registration. Open tracker → NEW Find out what other flight tracking systems are missing Alarms, Holds, NOTAMs – signals in real time, without registration. Open tracker → The entire seat is built on the Scimitar adjustment mechanism. Passengers use this mechanism to make smooth, continuous adjustments, giving them unprecedented customization options to ensure they feel as comfortable as possible. Since Unum has a patent on this technology, only airlines that invest in Unum seats will be able to offer this feature to customers. The Scimitar system also gives passengers access to full adjustment with fewer moving parts, significantly reducing seat weight and therefore fuel consumption required to complete tasks. Unum CEO and founder Chris Brady spoke about what the location offers, as reported by the Airline Passenger Service Association: “When we first shared the forward-looking concept three years ago, we were clear about the ambitions of Unum Two. We are now delivering a seat that has gone through the full design, engineering and testing cycle and is ready for airline programs.” Brady also stressed the importance of aircraft seats being in good working order. “Both on the 100th day and on the first day.” Credit: Unum | Simple flight While Unum Two moves firmly in a forward-facing checkerboard pattern, business class In the seating market, the UK company remains relevant in the reverse herringbone market with its original Unum One product. This product is available for both wide-body and narrow-body aircraft, particularly the Boeing 737 and Airbus A321 families. Check out the Instagram post below to learn more about what the Unum seats look like: The seat shares many characteristics with the Unum Two product, even though it is configured differently. It also uses the Scimitar’s zero-gravity seat adjustment mechanism. The Unum One will also be wider at 21.5 inches (54.6 cm). Passengers will also continue to enjoy full-height legroom, closed doors, a large table and spacious side furniture. Both the Unum One for wide-body and narrow-body aircraft lie completely flat, as today’s business class travelers have come to expect. This is what Unum said about simple flight Photo: Unum Aircraft Seatings Simple Flying spoke with Alan McInnes, who is currently VP of Business Development at Unum. He told us the company’s focus is on underserved aircraft and airlines, helping them solve business class capacity issues such as the Airbus A330. Unum Odin focused on this plane. “The A330 is the most difficult aircraft to design due to the diameter of the fuselage and the fact that the seat rails were developed in 1970.” McInnes also spoke about “passenger first” the measures taken by Unum go beyond a simple and functional product. He described Scimitar technology as “hero of comfort” What “allows the passenger to find the most comfortable position. We’re talking endless adjustability and a superior zero-gravity position.McInnes also talked about the 21.5-inch seat width: “There aren’t many places on the A330 that can do that.” The full interview is posted below: Another aspect of Unum products that McInnes was keen to highlight is the degree of customization offered. “We’re open to any customization…whether it’s a basic level of finishes, materials, finishes and CMF or something more fundamental.“He tied it to the mission statement “reliably comfortable” “If an airline wants to personalize, we will always give an honest answer… and the decision is up to the airline,” said McInnes. “On-time delivery is the most important thing we can do.” Other seat manufacturers are switching to staggered seating Photo: Unum Aircraft Seatings Elevate Seats acknowledges that “half the market” now wants to stagger seating, suggesting Unum Two’s philosophy is in line with broader industry dynamics. “Elevate had been at a weak spot in its product strategy plan for several years, but was waiting for the right time to launch,” says Tristan Parry, Chief Commercial Officer. The firm unveiled its forward-facing business class seat concept at AIX 2026 under its new Elevate Aircraft Seating brand. The product is called Summit.. “Enhance your journey with our newest Business Class seat” says the manufacturer. The Summit features new privacy features, enhanced passenger personalization and integrated lighting. It also has space for larger monitors to enhance in-flight entertainment for passengers. There are also some differences within the product. Most business class passengers on airlines using the Summit product will receive a standard package. However, front row passengers can enjoy The Cove. This is a premium luxury suite. Elevate anticipates that its customers will be able to charge additional fees to passengers who want to board The Cove. Elevate Aircraft Seating was founded in 2018. Manufactures seats in California and Germany. Unlike Unum, its new staggered forward-facing business class product is only available on wide-body aircraft. However, it does have products for single-aisle business class airlines. The Ascent and Altitude products offer horizontally positioned products for narrowbody aircraft. Herringbone Seats: What is Unum and Elevate Challenge Credit: Shutterstock Both the Unum and Elevate offer an alternative to conventional inverted herringbone seats. This premium layout features forward-facing seats angled toward the window. Previously, the seats were angled towards the aisle. Herringbone-back seats provide passengers with a number of benefits. This ensures that every passenger has direct access to the aisle and provides additional privacy by directing them away from pedestrians in the aisle. Moreover, this arrangement allows passengers sitting at the edge of the cabin to enjoy the view from the window without craning their necks. Meanwhile, airlines using this layout can increase the capacity of their premium cabins while maintaining the ability to provide fully reclined seats. It also avoids unpopular layout decisions such as British Airways’ yin-yang configuration, which caused some passengers to sit backwards. Herringbone seats are currently used by major airlines such as Air France, American Airlines and Cathay Pacific. It is typically found on long-haul wide-body aircraft such as Airbus A350 and the Boeing 787, a mid-market market that Unum and Elevate are aiming to disrupt. The inverted herringbone seating arrangement has a number of disadvantages, which has opened the space for niche manufacturers like Unum to make a splash. First, in a horizontal position, the passenger’s legs disappear into a narrow space under the seat in front. This creates a cramped environment, especially for tall passengers. The problem persists even when the passenger’s shoulder width is satisfactory. The slanted position of these seats also creates a feeling of isolation, which poses a problem for passengers traveling as a couple or as a family. 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