Onboard wheelchair manufacturer, Airchair, has opened a new, larger manufacturing facility, situated between Gatwick and Heathrow near Woking in Surrey.

This expansion will allow Airchair to scale up production to meet the increasing demand for onboard wheelchairs. A new single-flow smart manufacturing process has also been introduced to boost efficiency and allow for agaile design adaptations.

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The facility offers three times the production capacity compared with the current site and the owner says that expansion will bring new employment opportunities.

Sarah McOnie of Airchair said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have moved into our new, enlarged production facility. According to the most recent Civil Aviation Authority data, in 2024 5.5 million passengers requested assistance at a UK airport. The Airchair plays an important role in providing airlines with a simple and practical solution when helping passengers that require special assistance which is why we believe that every passenger aircraft should carry an aisle chair.”

This development marks a significant milestone for the company, which launched in 2007 with an aisle chair designed and built by founder and former aircraft engineer, Brian Richards.