Combining industry leading innovation with manufacturing excellence, IFPL delivers industrialized, certified, and production-ready solutions
IFPL Group (IFPL) is an innovative, award-winning electronics company specializing in the design and manufacture of advanced technology and aircraft passenger interface products.
“I started IFPL in my spare room almost 30 years ago in 1996 after having been made redundant from GEC Marconi Inflight Systems,” Geoff Underwood, CEO shares. “I decided that I could offer solutions to engineering problems, and help people develop products. One of the issues I identified during my time in the industry was the poor reliability of the audio jacks that people plug their headphones into on aircraft. I looked at the design of those jacks, to figure out the causes of failure, then set out to redesign them from first principles. The result was an audio jack that could withstand 100,000 headset insertions instead of just 5000. 
“Over several years, I managed to secure modest sales of these modules to various manufacturers of in-flight systems. My first contract was for 300 units, followed by 1000, which were assembled in my garage by me, my parents and my son. Then a little while after that I secured a contract to supply 10,000 units. It was at this point that I decided to employ a small team of four people. Today, we employ 85 people.
“Over the years, we have developed a large range of audio jacks, and USB modules to the point where we have recently shipped our four millionth unit. Our products are installed on every major airline in the world.
“In 2021,” Geoff continues, “we acquired Cobalt Aerospace, a growing designer and manufacturer of wireless LED cabin mood lighting, and fluorescent floor path marking. This part of the business has been growing since we moved production from Norwich to our main site on the Isle of Wight.”
Acquiring Cobalt Aerospace during the pandemic was not without its challenges. Systems and cultures were different, and the two companies were effectively working in very different ways. “The IFPL business at the time,” Geoff shares, “supplied the in-flight system companies, who deal with Boeing and Airbus. That meant that we had to deal with their very challenging and inflexible systems and processes. Whereas Cobalt sells product direct to airlines, which meant that they had to navigate the aircraft certification and approval process. These are similar, but very different processes. When we acquired Cobalt, we decided to set up a separate production facility close to IFPL, but not within the same site. This was a deliberate move enabling us to get that facility up and running with as little overlap with the main site as possible. We had a dedicated team with a small group of engineers, QA and procurement people. As time has moved on, we have been slowly merging activities as we learn more and more about the new products.”
IFPL’s industry-leading audio jacks are designed to protect an airline’s in-flight entertainment investment and deliver high-quality sound. This is achieved by providing solutions for simple, rapid on-wing replacement, and by engineering high-quality components to virtually eliminate customer-induced damage.
“Audio jacks are the modules that passengers plug their headsets into. It would surprise most people the number of varieties that are out there,” he continues. “There are headsets fitted with one, two, or three pin plugs, and we develop products to support these variants. Currently we have over 75 different products in our portfolio. Our mantra has always been to provide high reliability products, or products that can be easily maintained. Making a completely robust audio jack is not possible in a commercial aircraft environment. Passenger induced damage is a huge issue, so we have developed the Long Life jack, which survives 100,000 insertions. Then we have our patented Rapid Fit Cassette module, that allows the maintenance team to replace any broken jack module in a matter of seconds.”
IFPL is a trusted global provider of end-to-end power solutions. Indeed, over the years, the company has developed many USB module variants, from single to dual USB outlets in USB-A and USB-C form for the major in-flight systems companies.
“A recent development has seen us offer full USB power systems direct to airlines,” Geoff elaborates. “As phone usage has become ubiquitous, and more and more airlines are offering on-board WIFI, the need to keep phones charged during the flight has become a number one priority.
“Additionally, our Spectrum cabin mood lighting system is unique in that it allows airlines to upgrade from white, fluorescent lighting, to full color mood lighting with no upgrade to the aircraft wiring infrastructure. The LED tubes are drop-in replacements for the fluorescent tubes and are controlled by a peer-to-peer wireless control system. This allows an aircraft to be upgraded during an overnight shift.
“Because LED lighting tubes require no electrical ballast, and the lights are low power, there is a substantial weight and power saving per aircraft. Our solution for Airbus A380 offers a total weight saving of 250 kilograms. Similarly, our GLS7 luminous floor path marking system is a very low-cost emergency product designed for low-cost carriers.
“We have recently developed an exciting USB power system that allows passengers to charge their laptops through USB-C modules. The system is designed for a simple upgrade to aircraft and leverages the simplicity of installation of the cabin lighting system, with the reliability and maintainability features of our audio and USB module products.”
Both IFPL and Cobalt previously outsourced all bare board manufacture, as well as a large part of the sub-assembly build. During Covid, the supply chain was under a lot of stress, with some suppliers even deciding to downsize their businesses or exit completely. “There were of course issues with the supply chain from the Far East too,” Geoff explains. “As a result, we took a decision to insource a large part of this work and have invested in our own PCB assembly capabilities by setting up a dual line SMT facility in-house. Again, this took time to get to grips with, but is reducing our overall cost base, and allows us far greater flexibility. If a customer needs a rapid turnaround for a low volume item, for example, then we can load that locally, without the need to commit to supplier MOQs.
“The last four years have been challenging for us, as they have been for almost everyone. The decision to acquire another business during a serious downturn was a risk. However, that risk was worth taking, and we are now in a very strong position with mature lighting products that are gaining great traction in the market. 2022 and 2023 were years of investment. 2024 was a year of good growth, and 2025 is looking like even further growth for us, especially in cabin lighting.
“With the phase out of fluorescent tubes, demand for LED lighting will continue to grow. The business is positioned to meet the demands of the retrofit market, which is considerable. Regarding new aircraft that are coming off the production line at Boeing and Airbus, we are actively working on our strategy to become an approved supplier to both companies.
“We sowed the seeds for growth when we acquired Cobalt and their great portfolio of lighting products. The market for lighting is huge, even in the retrofit space, with circa 30,000 aircraft in service right now, so we see a great opportunity to grow the business substantially. The same goes for USB power. This is a growing market, and as power banks are expected to be banned as carry-on due to safety risks, airlines need their customers to be happy,” he concludes. “Our system does that by keeping their phones and tablets charged safely throughout the flight.”