Learning Materials Airline seat - Company In the programme, Seymour Powell work closely to develop a better economy airline seat with a well-known national carrier, Swiss Air, and a leading European aircraft passenger seat manufacturer, Avio Interiors. Swiss Air is a commercial airline operating in and beyond Switzerland. The company receives no subsidies from the state. It has 7,678 staff worldwide, including 1,135 pilots and on-board technicians and 3,449 flight attendants. It has a fleet of 67 aircraft (average age 4.5 years). It flies to 162 destinations in 78 countries. It was founded in 1931 through the merger of Ad Astra Aero and Balair. In 1998, Swiss Air made 169,030 flights (275,368 flight hours), carrying 12.1 million passengers, 270,886 tonnes of cargo and freight and 18,252 tonnes of mail. Avio Interiors supplies Swiss Air with its seats. This Rome-based company has been a key player in aircraft seat manufacture since 1973. It has not only engaged in extensive research and development for aircraft equipment (seating, galley units, crew rest areas, stowaway tables etc) but, since 1987, also for the railway market. In 1986 Avio Interiors merged with Alven, owned by the Veneruso family. In 1999, Avio Interiors acquired Testori Interiors, the leading Italian railway specialist. Both moves have given the company enhanced development, assembly and testing capabilities.