New lavish British Airways first class cabin created by London design company

Laura Proto18 September 2015

These stunning images inside British Airways’ new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners show the handiwork of a London design company.

Forpeople, based in Kennington, have worked with the airline for more than 10 years and were tasked with creating unique first-class cabins that set British Airways apart from their competitors.

The new cabins are currently coming off the assembly line and the inaugural flight to Delhi will be in late October, before being rolled out on flights to Abu Dhabi, Kuala Lumpur, Muscat and San Jose.

Forpeople said they designed the cabin in line with their “people-first” motto and that the top-class cabin was created by looking at how the airline’s premium customers interact with the space, people and technology around them.

The swish first-class cabin centres around a charcoal, silver and gold theme, with the plush reclining seats covered in a diamond patterned fabric.

The cabin is filled with golden, silver and charcoal colours Alister Thorpe
Alister Thorpe

Each individual pod features a 23” personal television to enhance the inflight entertainment experience and a smartphone sized device which doubles up as a second screen.

The first-class pods also feature a small locker-style cupboard, magazine rack and those positioned at the side of the cabin benefit from natural light flooding in through two aircraft windows.

Each pod features a reclining seat and 23" personal television Alister Thorpe
Alister Thorpe

Passengers also have full control over their seat position, lights within their seating area and the intensity of the air conditioning.

The seats, of which there are eight in the cabin, are finished with detailed stitching on the leather trim.

The control dial resembles what you would usually find in a car Alister Thorpe
Alister Thorpe

Forpeople began working with British Airways in 2005 and their partnership continued to shape the look and feel of the brand for the London 2012 Olympics.

Richard Stevens, founder and creative director at Forpeople, said the latest project started about three years ago but design concepts had previously been explored.

He told the Standard: "It was an exciting time as Forpeople were responsible for the look and feel of the British Airways brand at the Olympics and people were 'buzzing'.

"The project isn't really completed until the aircraft is delivered so there are a lot of trips to the US and beyond to visit manufacturers and suppliers to ensure the quality is commensurate with what people expect of a First Class experience."

Each seat also has its own shelf and small cupboard Alister Thorpe
Alister Thorpe

Mr Stevens said Forpeople takes inspiration from the company's experience outside the airline industry with always results in "something more interesting".

He added: "There are a lot of design houses, especially in London, who only specialise in airline design but we don't believe you can bring unique and differentiated experiences if you don't offer a different perspective and insight through working in different sectors and around the world."

Abigail Comber, British Airways head of customer, said the airline was delighted with Forpeople’s finished product.

She added: “They have such an impressive heritage in high-end automotive, technology, environment and luxury design that, combined with their experience working so closely with us for over ten years, has translated beautifully to the new cabins for the -9.”

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