CAPA - Centre for Aviation logo

CAPA - Centre for Aviation

  • Type: Informa

Aircraft Interiors industry development summary: Mar/Apr-2026 - 15 years of 787 interiors evolution

Posted

Fifteen years after its entry into service, the Boeing 787 continues to act as a barometer for wider cabin innovation trends, even amid a volatile macro environment.

Activity surrounding the 2026 Aircraft Interiors Expo highlighted a dual dynamic: ongoing linefit innovation alongside an accelerating wave of mid-life retrofit programmes.

This report analyses how 787 interiors have evolved from early-generation configurations - dominated by legacy layouts and limited direct aisle access - towards today's near-universal adoption of advanced premium seating concepts.

The transition to direct aisle access, now present in 95% of recent deliveries, underscores the rapid standardisation of passenger expectations, while emerging features such as sliding doors reveal both innovation potential and certification constraints.

At the same time, the rise of premium economy and differentiated "business plus" offerings reflects shifting revenue strategies.

As first-generation aircraft enter retrofit cycles, the 787 cabin ecosystem is entering a new phase - defined by complexity, competition, and continued product segmentation.

Summary

  • Boeing 787 interiors are simultaneously seeing new linefit product launches and a growing wave of mid-life retrofit programmes as the fleet reaches ~15 years in service.
  • Business-class layouts have shifted from early 2-2-2 cabins to near-universal direct aisle access, now installed on about 95% of 787 deliveries since 2021.
  • Sliding-door business-class suites are growing but remain limited on the 787 (~10% of the fleet) versus the A350, driven by tighter cabin width and major certification hurdles.
  • Seat certification issues especially for new configurations with doors - are materially delaying some completed 787 deliveries, prompting Boeing to change how it partners and contracts with suppliers.
  • Premium economy adoption on the 787 has risen from roughly 37% to just under 50% of the in-service fleet, with retrofits (e.g., Air India, Thai Airways) expected to push that higher.
  • Across cabins, supplier dynamics are evolving: Safran/Collins remain dominant in premium seating, Collins’ MiQ leads premium economy growth, and RECARO’s CL3710 has become a standout economy platform.

Aircraft Interiors Expo buzzing with interiors announcements

During such a turbulent macro environment, the number of headlines still hitting the wires around the 2026 Aircraft Interiors Expo is a surprise.

Air Canada showcased its new 'Glowing Hearted' lineup of cabin products for the A321XLR and Boeing 787-10. New interiors products were announced for Delta Air Lines' A350-1000, LATAM Airlines' A321XLR, and Hainan Airlines' A321neo. Chinese seat maker Jiatai expanded its global client base with a flyadeal agreement, Air India signed up for Hughes, Japan Airlines doubled down on SES and Copa Airlines became the first Starlink customer in Latin America.

15 years of the 787... 15 years of interiors evolution

Among the attention grabbing product announcements, two subtle press releases surfaced from Boeing. An interior modification agreement with Virgin Atlantic for the 787 and on the same day, a cabin upgrade agreement for 37 of All Nippon Airways' existing 787 fleet.

While the 787 still feels like a new aircraft type, its first revenue flight took place almost 15 years ago. It is no surprise that cabin designs for brand new 787s are being disclosed at the same time as retrofit plans for mid life 787s.

In this latest version of the CAPA - Centre for Aviation's bi-monthly interiors analysis, we take a deep dive on how 787 interiors have evolved since 2011.

Business Class

The duopoly of Safran and Collins in the premium seating space is rather evident for the 787.

During the first seven years of 787 revenue flights, the two held a solid 90%+ market share in the space.

Later years saw other manufacturers, like STELIA and Thompson Aero Seating, making inroads.

Elevate Aircraft Seating has shown strong momentum more recently, securing orders from North American giants, most recently Air Canada for its 787-10.

Business class seat manufacturer for in-service Boeing 787 with business class operated by scheduled airlines over the past 10 years (as of Apr 2026)

Source: CAPA - Centre for Aviation Aircraft Interiors Database.

However, more drastic shifts are visible when looking at data on the seat model level.

For deliveries over the first five years of 787 revenue service, the industry was still early in the direct aisle access trend.

More than half of new 787 business cabins featured conventional 2-2-2 configurations. Only 11 of 36 operators opted for seat types with direct aisle access.

This changed completely over time. Since Apr-2021, 95% of 787 deliveries feature business class seats with direct aisle access.

A whopping 15 business class seat model types were installed.

Business class seat type for in-service Boeing 787 with business class operated by scheduled airlines as of Oct 2016 v. Apr 2026

Source: CAPA - Centre for Aviation Aircraft Interiors Database.

After direct aisle access became the industry standard, sliding doors are expected to become the next big thing. This trend, however, has run into far more regulatory hurdles than other interiors trends in recent memory.

In CAPA's Aircraft Interiors - Industry Development Summary Jul/Aug-2023, we conducted an in-depth analysis on the rising popularity of premium seats with sliding doors. Though the 787 is very much a part of this trend, the rate is much lower when compared to, say, the Airbus A350. Roughly 10% of global 787s feature sliding doors; the A350 family is approaching 30%.

This is due to a combination of factors. With a cabin width roughly five inches narrower than the A350, the 787 is physically more challenging to engineer when it comes to installing additional components, like sliding doors.

However, even with engineering figured out, certification became a nightmare.

On Boeing's earnings call for 1Q2026, CEO Kelly Ortberg specifically called out doors as a key factor holding up deliveries, stating: "If it's a new seating configuration, typically with doors, this has been an area that we've struggled. […] We've got a fair number of 787s that are held up, that are actually built, that are held up now to get seat certification".

CFO Jay Malave commented on how the manufacturer is "partnering earlier in the development process and creating contractual off-ramps to avoid delivery delays in the future".

This is certainly critical to support the various new 787 cabin offerings, including All Nippon Airways' The Room FX and Virgin's new Upper Class, for which Boeing will handle both linefit and retrofits.

It should be noted that certification hurdles extend to all new seating platforms beyond just suites. Lufthansa's new Allegris 787, delivered in Oct-2025 after major delays, still had to wait another quarter before it could even sell 25 of the 28 business class seats.

Another trend to note is the continuous popularity of 'Business Plus' offerings.

At AIX 2026, Thompson Aircraft Seating showcased its new VantageXL+ First for the first time. The seat is specially designed for 787 and A350 aircraft, and as an option of enhanced business class front row.

When introducing its AI-powered R7 Horizon suites, RECARO Aircraft Seating again touted its ability to offer a "Business Class Plus front row suite on demand".

Heavyweights American Airlines, Lufthansa and United Airlines all recently took delivery of their first 787s with business plus offerings. American and United chose the 787 as the first aircraft to feature this differentiated offering.

As part of its 787 retrofit, Virgin Atlantic Airways will also be introducing its business plus product, the 'Retreat Suite' onto the 787.

Premium Economy Class and Economy Class

Regular CAPA - Centre for Aviation readers are certainly no stranger to our coverage on the rise of premium economy offerings. This 'in between' product has really proven its worth in recent years.

It is a recurring theme for airlines to share their success during earnings calls regarding efforts to generate revenue from customers who don't want to splurge on a lie-flat seat but still crave more comfort than in regular economy.

The 787 entered service right before the explosive rise in premium economy popularity. Over the years, the proportion of the global 787 fleet with premium economy offered has steadily increased from 37% a decade ago to just under 50% today.

Premium economy class availability on in-service Boeing 787 operated by scheduled airlines over the past 10 years (as of Apr 2026)

Source: CAPA - Centre for Aviation Aircraft Interiors Database.

This number is expected to continue rising.

In Apr-2026, Air India completed the first of its 26 787-8 nose-to-tail retrofit. With the addition of 25 RECARO PL3530 premium economy class seats, the aircraft became three class instead of dual class.

Various other 787 cabin update projects, such as that of Thai Airways, are also expected to add the cabin type to the retrofitted aircraft for the first time.

Looking at various seating platforms, MiQ from Collins Aerospace holds a commanding lead with over one-third market share. RECARO and Safran are also seeing success with their various platforms.

However, neither has seen growth rates as strong as that of Collins. In the graph below, the single dark blue line marks the MiQ's meteoric rise leaving all other platforms behind.

Premium economy class seat model for in-service Boeing 787 with premium economy class operated by scheduled airlines over the past 10 years (as of Apr 2026)

Source: CAPA - Centre for Aviation Aircraft Interiors Database.

Turning our attention to the rear-end of the cabin.

Economy cabins on the 787 have always been dominated by the traditional big three: Safran and Collins, followed by RECARO. Beneath the surface are a few rounds of generational shifts.

During the early years of the 787, airlines mostly picked between Safran's 5751 and Collins' Pinnacle. RECARO was also a major player but it had more platforms (CL3510 and CL3620) to split the share.

Over the past decade, the RECARO CL3710 truly took off and cemented its footing in the industry. Safran and Collins shifted their focus to the Z300 and Aspire, respectively, though neither has been nearly as successful as the CL3710.

Economy class seat model for in-service Boeing 787 with economy class operated by scheduled airlines over the past 10 years (as of Apr 2026)

Source: CAPA - Centre for Aviation Aircraft Interiors Database.

787 retrofit plans and new entrants

Looking ahead, the 787 interiors market is expected to continue evolving as first generation operators each embark on their respective retrofit plans.

In Japan, All Nippon Airways is not the only airline planning major 787 retrofit plans. In Feb-2026, Japan Airlines announced plans to retrofit its existing 787-9 to align with upcoming factory-new 787s. The aircraft are also expected to offer LEO-based inflight connectivity.

In Australia, Jetstar Airways just rolled out its first retrofitted 787. The airline shifted from a mix of HAECO (now ZIM) and Collins seating products to nose-to-tail RECARO. PTV screens were removed in favour of personal device entertainment powered by newly installed Viasat Amara IFC.

Retrofit programmes announced a few more years prior include that of LATAM Airlines and LOT Polish Airlines.

Evolution over revolution: the changing dynamics of 787 interiors

Fifteen years after entry into service, the 787 is entering a new phase where innovation and renewal coexist.

Cabin evolution is no longer defined by step changes, but by continuous refinement across both new deliveries and retrofits. There is a broader shift toward aligning product consistency with changing passenger expectations.

At the same time, constraints in certification and industrial execution are shaping the pace of progress.

The next stage of 787 development will hinge less on breakthrough concepts, and more on how effectively the industry can deliver them at scale.

Other global interiors headlines

OEM

  • Airbus enabling HBCplus to access LEO constellations;
  • Collins secures three customers for new Helix economy class seat platform;
  • Expliseat secures two US customers for its TiSeat 2X model;
  • Expliseat launches its first business class offering - TiSeat S;
  • Hughes Network Systems launches single antenna system that can access both Ku and Ka-band networks;
  • Panasonic Avionics Corporation unveils eXNeo monitor for existing X Series operators;
  • RAVE Aerospace and Safran showcase new U-shaped micro-LED screen display concept;
  • SES and Boeing Reach Milestone Toward Line-Fit Offerability for Multi-Orbit Connectivity;
  • SES and Google to Provide Streamlined Android Login;
  • Thomspon reveals VantageXL+ First product;
  • Thales launches FlytEDGE Aura IFE solution;
  • ZIM Aircraft Seating introduces 'The Frame' premium economy seat.

The Americas

Europe, the Middle East, and Africa

Asia Pacific

Share this post