STELIA Aerospace wins sustainable design award OPERA® ESSENTIAL
A passenger sitting in the STELIA Aerospace OPERA® ESSENTIAL
On July 8, STELIA Aerospace was honored with the Red Dot Design Award: Product Design 2025 in the Sustainable Design category for its OPERA® ESSENTIAL premium Business Class seat. The Red Dot Award has celebrated products of exceptional design quality since 1955. An independent jury assesses each entry against the four fundamental principles of good design: function, appeal, usability and responsibility.
OPERA® ESSENTIAL, the latest addition to STELIA Aerospace’s OPERA® family, has been meticulously conceived in accordance with eco-design principles. Its advanced design serves a dual purpose: to provide a pioneering solution that establishes a new benchmark for sustainability in aviation, whilst continuing to deliver unparalleled comfort and luxury to passengers. Embracing this paradigm shift and breaking new ground, STELIA Aerospace hereby presents a revolutionary concept: a sustainable and entirely autonomous seat that responds to the passenger's own movements. Culminating from two years of rigorous life-cycle analysis and environmental impact assessment, and inspired by its sibling product, OPERA® Single-Aisle, the design approach for OPERA® ESSENTIAL is founded upon four key pillars: mass optimization, streamlined electrical components, incorporation of recycled and recyclable materials and preservation of the luxurious comfort expected of a long-range Business Class seat.
A key innovation of this design is the removal of the electrical actuator and its Electronic Control Unit (ECU). This not only reduces the seat's weight and consequent environmental impact but also allows passengers complete control over their comfort, offering an infinite number of positions and a more rapid transition to the full-flat bed mode.
"Following our success with the Green Good Design Award in March, we are delighted to be honoured with the prestigious Red Dot Award: Product Design 2025 for OPERA® ESSENTIAL. It is a privilege to be selected from amongst such design-led companies who are at the forefront of innovation and sustainability,” said Thierry Kanengieser, VP Cabin Interior at STELIA Aerospace. “We continuously work to innovate and shape the future of a sustainable aviation seating industry while offering a premium passenger experience. Such recognition is a great source of motivation for our teams, fuelling our continued pursuit of excellence.”
