As a successful family business, we’ve been crafting our textile manufacturing skills for the past 160 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 50 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
1863
Company established 1863 by John Horsfall and James Clay in Luddenden Foot, Halifax.forest
1903
First aeroplane flight (Orville Wright).desert
1905
Bought West Vale Mill and became John Horsfall & Sons Ltd.forest
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
1939-45
War work – workers given special dispensation to work in the mill. Good quality blankets were essential to the war effort. John Horsfall also made ‘Fearnaught’ – heavy wool cloth that was fire proof and used to line ammunition boxes.forest
1952
First jetliner passenger service started between London and Johannesburg.desert
1969
Concorde makes Maiden Flightdesert
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
2000
John Horsfall produced fine lambswool blankets for British Airways Concorde, until the aircraft retired from flight in 2003.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
2014
After 118 years at West Vale Works, the Head Office relocates to its current home: Birkby Grange, Huddersfield.forest
2016
Airbus’ A320neo aircraft was the first of the more fuel efficient ‘neo family’ to be introduced to service by an airline.desert
2017
Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s first flight.desert
2020
WHO declared the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus a ‘pandemic’, this would lead to global travel restrictions and the effective shut-down of the global aviation industry for over 18 months.desert
2020
John Horsfall won ‘Best for OnBoard Textiles in First & Business Class’ & ‘Best Premium Economy Bedding Set’ in the OBH & TravelPlus awards; both for British Airways textiles collections.forest
2021
John Horsfall acquired Orvec, allowing the company to further diversify the product range.forest
2021
Virgin Atlantic & British Airways joint take-off from Heathrow on 8th November marks the first Transatlantic passenger flight since the 2020 Covid-19 shutdown.desert
2022
First flight in history with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel in both engines on a commercial aircraft.desert
2022
John Horsfall won ‘Best for OnBoard Textiles’ award in the OnBoard Hospitality awards for their Premium Economy Textiles collection with Finnair & Marimekko.forest
2023
John Horsfall’s 160th year anniversary since the company was established.forest
