Celebrating their 50th year, OMK continue to demonstrate why they are key players in the terminal seating design industry with the launch of a new innovative seating system, FLITE.
As a design-led company they have always worked closely with airport operators and architects to develop solutions to satisfy the ever changing airport environment. Recent feedback identified a requirement to increase seating capacity within gate rooms in order to accommodate the new breed of passenger aircraft such as the A380. Reacting to this OMK developed a new system FLITE that has a small footprint providing up to a 15% increase in seating density over other products on the market.
Minimalist Design
Designed primarily for high traffic areas meant that as well as being compact the need for easy maintenance was paramount. FLITE is the first seat on the market to utilise an identical interchangeable seat and back panel, either available in moulded polyurethane or saddle stitched coach hide, which are mounted on a single pressure die cast aluminium bracket minimising the number of spare parts to be stocked.
Reducing the amount of components has eliminated the need for pre-assembly and halved the time required for on site assembly, not only producing a further cost saving but resulting in less disruption to a live airport. Hook locking systems are used to locate components, leading to a reduction on the number of fixings required and enabling assembly to be carried out by a single operative.
Expanding Range
FLITE has been designed to compliment OMK’s existing seating systems, further expanding their range of products to cater for multiple passenger profiles, which is currently an important consideration by operators when selecting seating.
Providing the right type of seating to each area of the airport is key to satisfying the needs of every passenger. Aside from gate rooms, business travellers now require many of the facilities traditionally provided in airline lounges within the main terminal. This has led operators to move away from conventional linear units, which do not offer dynamic layouts, in favour of group seating such as OMK’s hub options. Which can be used singularly offering added privacy or combined with linear units to articulate through the interior space creating a more flexible layout. The integration of power also provides a comfortable place to work.
Future-Proof
The TRAX seating system was originally designed in 1990 for BAA. Over the last 25 years the product has undergone a number of significant design changes, for example the introduction of new materials such as moulded polyurethane, in addition to comfort upgrades including the High Back and Leg Rest. OMK’s in house design department ensure that all developments can be retro fitted allowing customers to upgrade their seats to any new option without the full cost of replacement. A model adopted by Hamburg Airport who have recently upgraded their upholstered seats to moulded polyurethane by simply changing the panels over.
The ethos of this design-led company is to constantly innovate and react to the ever changing needs of the market, this has ensured the longevity of both OMK and their product range throughout its long history in this field.