Creating the supersonic cabin experience – a design house perspective

Richard has an extensive background in aviation that spans over 30 years. A qualified Aircraft Engineer and Private Pilot, Richard joins JPA from British Airways, where he held various technical and management roles and was most recently responsible for the design and development of aircraft cabin interiors as part of the customer experience team.

Richard studied at London’s City University, graduating with a B.Eng. (Hons) in Air Transport Engineering before gaining an MBA from Lancaster University. Richard’s mixed Spanish and Indian background coupled with his extensive airline travel give this London native an international perspective and appreciation of global cultural needs. At JPA, Richard focusses on developing the aviation portfolio, where he uses his airline experience and market knowledge to help serve the unique needs of aviation clients.

American industrial designer Elliott Koehler brings complete travel experiences to life with a holistic approach to the overall transport environment coupled with a passionate attention to product finishes and details.

A graduate from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Elliott Koehler leads JPA’s London studio as Creative Director. The studio is uniquely positioned to deploy its extensive hospitality experience to place more emphasis on elevating the customer journey and creating future travel experiences driven by human centred research. Since its founding over 30-years ago, JPA has developed innovative products for Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, JAL, American Airlines, Air China and flydubai, many of which have shaped the industry and won awards from Red Dot to Crystal Cabin. Completed hospitality projects such as the Venice Simplon Orient Express, Taj Hotels, Hilton Hotels have fed into JPA’s aviation work and differentiates the company’s approach to transport design.

With over 10 years of industry experience from the in-house design team of Fortune 500 leader GE to the diverse product design studio LAYER, Elliott has developed hundreds of products from strategy to production ranging from tech products, furniture, and aviation cabins for global brands including Airbus, Google, Vitra, NIO, Bang & Olufsen and Adidas. Elliott's focus is creating a studio that will define the way we work, live and communicate in the future, exploring the possibilities of transportation, materials and the next generation of human interactions.