Business

Thompson Aero Seating in sales and profits surge

Thompson Aero Seating provides seats for many of the world's leading airlines
Thompson Aero Seating provides seats for many of the world's leading airlines Thompson Aero Seating provides seats for many of the world's leading airlines

PORTADOWN firm Thompson Aero Seating is flying high after a major surge in turnover and profits.

The company, which makes seats for major airlines across the world, saw sales increase 25 per cent to £16.9 million in the year to March 2016.

Profits before tax meanwhile rose 29 per cent to £13.7m.

The business also added considerably to its headcount over the year, reaching 285 from 224 in 2015.

The company develops cutting edge airline seats including its Vantage and CozySuite concepts.

Customers include some of the world's best known airlines such as Swiss, Delta, Qantas, American Airlines and Air Canada.

In 2011, Thompson opened new manufacturing facilities at Seagoe Industrial Estate, which now extend to 10,000 sq m.

Among the firm's most recent deals was the signing of an agreement with manufacturer Airbus.

It means the Thompson Vantage and Vantage XL products will be officially offered by Airbus on A320 and A330 family products.

It formalised a relationship with Airbus that began in 2012 with the delivery of the JetBlue ‘Mint’ business class suite to the Airbus final assembly line in Hamburg. More recently for Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), the Thompson Vantage XL was installed on the A330 platform in Toulouse with several other programmes under way.

Thompson was among more than 20 high-worth firms from the north feature in the London Stock Exchange's '1000 Companies to Inspire Britain' report, pinpointing firms which collectively are growing at an average annual rate of 25 per cent.