When an airline orders an aircraft it comes without interior. The major aircraft manufacturers are unable to respond to providing individual interior requirements required. An airline may operate a mixed fleet of Boeing and Airbus aircraft and how difficult could it be to get common styling throughout. Each aircraft producer would provide an interior that was convenient to them, but not necessarily give the common image an airline would want, even down to lavatory and gallery locations and even the correct colour shading for interior materials.

It is therefore general practice that an airline will contract aircraft interior specialist(s) to provide the styling and concepting required for the aircraft cabin. They will be responsible for designing the aircraft cabin from the cockpit bulkhead right through to the rear pressure bulkhead. The interior specialist(s) may or may not be the actual installer for the interior equipment (seats, lavatories, gallies, wardrobes, overhead bins, furniture, closets, etc). However they will be legally responsible for proving to the aircraft manufacturer and the appropriate aviation authority that their offering is safe and conforms to all relevant regulations. For a brand new aircraft the interior will normally be fitted at the place of final aircraft assembly. The process can become complicated, as there are many parties involved at the point of aircraft handover to the customer. The aircraft manufacturer wants the aircraft to be delivered on time, the designer/manufacturer/installer of the interior equipment needs to provide their goods on time and ensure that they are properly fitted, and the regulatory authorities need to be satisfied that the installation is safe and conforms to the previously approved aircraft cabin layout.

Once an aircraft is in service it isn't unusual for interiors to be refreshed/redesigned or even aircraft to change ownership. In such a scenario, the aircraft isn't returned to the manufacturer for cabin restyling. A specialist aircraft interior equipment supplier will again be used. The regulatory authorities and the original aircraft manufacturer will still guide what is a safe and legal design.

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