Muirhead has launched a low carbon, reduced-weight full substance leather.

The company said the ‘LightCore’ product innovation had been “re-engineered for the next generation of aviation”.

It is made with a durable, micro-light core and is, according to Muirhead, up to 33 per cent lighter than standard leather without sacrificing thickness or strength. LightCore features integrated ‘ActiveHygiene’ technology, ensuring that 99 per cent of bacteria and viruses are eliminated from its surface within two hours.

“We knew we wanted to cut weight – but we refused to cut corners,” said Muirhead’s innovation manager Stephen Hems. “To create true performance full substance leather with reduced weight, required our innovation team to rethink the entire process, from the exact hides we choose, to pioneering new manufacturing techniques, to the rigorous testing that ensures every leather meets the highest safety standards.”

LightCore has been developed to pass all airworthiness specifications, Muirhead added.