As a successful family business, we’ve been crafting our textile manufacturing skills for over 150 years.
We are proud of our long and illustrious textile manufacturing heritage, and the knowledge and experience that comes with this.
We have worked with airlines for around 40 years. Our team understands what you need, and the levels of comfort and enjoyment that enhance the in-flight experience.
You can see how our history unfolds around some of the key events in the history of aviation and the aviation industry.
John Horsfall History
Aviation History
Cool Timeline
1914
First passenger aeroplane service in USA – lasted four months (St Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line).desert
1919
First nonstop transatlantic aeroplane flight (John Alcock and Arthur Whitten-Brown).desert
1924
First round-the-world aeroplane flight.desert
1952
First jetliner passenger service started between London and Johannesburg.desert
1978
John Horsfall sold its first airline blankets – to British Airways, Kuwait Airways and Malaysian Airlines.forest
1993
First Queens Award for Export 1993. Further awards were won in 1998 and 1999.forest
1994
Boeing 777’s first flight.desert
1997
Peter Horsfall Benson became the current Managing Director (5th generation of the Horsfall family).forest
2004
Beginning of offshore production in India and China, enabling the company to diversify to a larger range of products including duvets, pillow and table linens.forest
2005
John Horsfall China office established.forest
2007
Airbus A380 Super Jumbo’s first passenger flight.desert
2017
Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s first flight.desert