UK-based seat manufacturer Unum Aircraft Seating has unveiled its new cabin-ready product, Unum Two, at Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) 2026. It concludes a three-year development program that has finalized industrial design, engineering and certification testing. The seat is 21.5 inches (54.6 cm) wide, forward-facing, and features a privacy door and direct aisle access. Unum Two also uses the company’s patented Scimitar mechanism, giving passengers comfortable zero-gravity positioning.

The emergence of Unum Two represents a serious problem for the current industry leaders: Collins Aerospace, Safran and RECARO Aircraft Seating. For several years, these companies have got ahead through reverse herringbone layouts. Products like Unum Two show that staggered seating is a credible alternative.

What Is Unum Aircraft Seating?

Credit: Unum

The cabin-ready Unum Two business class seating is the work of Unum Aircraft Seating. This is a UK-based company led by industry titan Chris Brady. Unum was founded in 2020 near London Gatwick Airport (LGW). It is one of the most exciting disruptors in the premium seating industry, aiming to win through lightweight design, passenger comfort, reliability and sustainability.

The firm’s mission statement reads: “We want to be the most trusted aircraft seating supplier in the world and set a new benchmark for consistent on-time delivery and inspiring design that is both passenger-focused and responsible.”

Unum markets itself as “the credible alternative.” Its products are built around modular designs, which it thinks are easier to customize, maintain and upgrade than its competitors’. It has two key aims. “Reliable comfort” refers to an enormous reduction in downtime when seats are broken, aided by the firm’s Through Life Support Team, which assists cabin service maintenance teams around the world. Secondly, “Responsibly Made” refers to both the positive environmental impact of lighter seats and the fact that much of the seat is recyclable once airlines decide to retire them. Unum works with its customers to help them identify the materials used and disassemble the seat for responsible waste management. Unum has partnered with Acumen to deliver its ideas.

What Did Unum Unveil At AIX 2026?

Credit: Unum Aircraft Seating

Unum made waves at AIX 2026 when launching its Unum Two product after a three-year development program, conducted in partnership with Acumen. The seat has everything passengers expect from lie-flat business class. At 21.5 inches (54.6 cm) wide, there is plenty of room to relax. Passengers can also enjoy a large footwell, storage space, and a large side console. The seats are designed to be staggered on mid-size aircraft, moving away from the popular reverse-herringbone layout.

The entire seat is built around the Scimitar adjustment mechanism. Passengers use this mechanism for smooth and continuous adjustment, giving them an unprecedented amount of customizability to get as comfortable as possible. As Unum has the patent for this technology, only airlines investing in Unum seating will be able to offer this feature to customers. The Scimitar system also gives passengers access to full adjustment with fewer moving parts, greatly reducing the seat’s weight and, therefore, the fuel burn needed to complete missions.

Unum CEO and founder, Chris Brady, spoke about what the seat offers, as reported by the Airline Passenger Experience Association: “When we first shared the forward-facing concept three years ago, we were clear about the ambition of Unum Two. Now we are presenting a seat that has been through the full discipline of design, engineering, and testing, and is ready for airline programs.” Brady also underlined the importance of an aircraft seat working “as well on day 100 as it does on day one.”

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Unum | Simple Flying

While Unum Two moves firmly into the staggered and forward-facing business class seat market, the UK-based company retains relevance in the reverse herringbone market through its original Unum One product. This product is available for both widebody aircraft and narrowbody jets, specifically planes from the Boeing 737 and Airbus A321 families.

Look through the Instagram post embedded below for more on what Unum seating looks like:

The seat shares plenty of characteristics with the Unum Two product despite being configured in a different way. It also uses the Scimitar zero-gravity seat adjustment mechanism. Unum One will also have a generous width of 21.5 inches (54.6 cm). Passengers will also still be able to enjoy a full-height footwell, privacy doors, a large table, and spacious side furniture. Both Unum One for widebody and narrowbody aircraft are fully lie-flat, as is the expectation of the modern business class traveler.

Here’s What Unum Has Said To Simple Flying

Credit: Unum Aircraft Seating

Simple Flying spoke with Alan McInnes, who is the current VP of Business Development at Unum. He told us that the business’s focus is dealing with underserved aircraft and airlines by helping them to deal with business class capacity issues, such as the Airbus A330. Unum One focused on this jet. “The A330 is the most challenging aircraft to design for because of the diameter of the fuselage and the fact that the seat tracks were designed in 1970.”

McInnes also spoke about the “passenger-first” measures taken by Unum that go beyond providing a lightweight and functional product. He described the Scimitar technology as the “comfort hero” that “allows the passenger to find their most comfortable position. We talk about infinite adjustability and we talk about a superb zero-g position.” McInnes also spoke to the 21.5 inches of width available with the seat: “There’s not many seats that can do that on the A330.”

The full interview is embedded below:

Another aspect of Unum’s products that McInnes was keen to draw attention to is the degree of customizability offered. “We are open to any customization…whether that is on a basic level of trim, materials, finish and CMF or whether there is something more fundamental.” He linked it back to the mission statement “reliably comfortable.” “If the airline wants customization, we will always come back with an honest answer… and it’s for the airline to decide,” said McInnes. “Delivery on-time is the most important thing we can do.”

Other Seat Manufacturers Are Moving Towards Staggered Seating

Credit: Unum Aircraft Seating

Elevate Seats acknowledges that “half the market” now wants staggered seating, suggesting that Unum Two’s philosophy is consistent with broader industry dynamics. “Elevate has had a staggered seat in its product strategy plan for several years but was waiting for the right time to launch,” says Trystan Parry, chief commercial officer. The firm exhibited its concept for a forward-facing business class seat at AIX 2026 under the new brand Elevate Aircraft Seating. The product is called Summit. “Elevate your journey with our latest business class seat,” says the manufacturer.

Summit features new privacy elements, increased passenger personalization, and integrated lighting. It also has room for larger monitors to enhance the passenger’s in-flight entertainment experience. There is also some variation within the product. Most passengers in business class for airlines using the Summit product will be using the standard suite. However, passengers in the front row can enjoy The Cove. This is a premium suite. Elevate imagines its customers will be able to charge a premium to passengers who want to sit in The Cove.

Elevate Aircraft Seating was founded in 2018. It manufactures its seats in California and Germany. Unlike Unum, its new staggered and forward-facing business class product is only available on widebody aircraft. However, it has products for narrowbody business class airlines. Both its Ascent and Altitude products offer lie-flat products for narrowbody jets.

Reverse Herringbone Seating: What Unum And Elevate Challenge

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Both Unum and Elevate offer an alternative to the commonplace reverse herringbone seating. In this premium seating layout, forward-facing seats are angled towards the window. Previously, herringbone layouts angled the seats towards the aisle. Reverse herringbone seating brings a number of perks to passengers. It ensures every passenger has direct aisle access and gives additional privacy because it points them away from foot traffic in the aisle. Moreover, the layout allows passengers seated on the cabin’s edge to enjoy a view out of the window without having to crane their neck.

Meanwhile, airlines using this layout can boost the capacity of their premium cabins while still being able to provide fully lie-flat seating. It also avoids unpopular layout decisions, such as British Airways’ yin-yang configuration, which left some passengers seated backwards. Reverse herringbone seating is currently used by major airlines like Air France, American Airlines, and Cathay Pacific. You’ll commonly find it on long-haul widebody aircraft like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787, the mid-size market that Unum and Elevate seek to disrupt.

There are a number of downsides to reverse herringbone seating, which has opened up the space for niche manufacturers like Unum to make waves. Firstly, when lying flat, the passenger’s feet go into a narrow cubby under the seat ahead. That provides a cramped experience, particularly for tall passengers. The problem persists even when the width of the passenger’s shoulders is satisfactory. The angled nature of this seating also produces an isolating experience, which causes problems for passengers traveling as a couple or family.