20
RECARO's guiding principles for aircraft seats
The trend continues: Innovative concepts are key when it comes to satisfying the demands of today's air carriers. It's all about less weight with more living space and comfort. At Aircraft Interiors Expo Hamburg, seat manufacturer and developer RECARO Aircraft Seating presented its products and portrayed the company as a first-class aviation industry partner
“Our products show that we are responding to the issues affecting the industry. Less weight with more living space and comfort are our guiding principles,” says Eckhard Behnert, Director of Product Group Management at RECARO Aircraft Seating. “The Skycouch for Air New Zealand proves this point. Based on an idea from Air New Zealand and developed by RECARO, this unique seat attracted a lot of attention at the exhibition. Passengers in economy class now finally have space to lie down.” A lie-flat space is created when the ergonomic leg rests are folded up 90 degrees on three adjoining seats.
Lightweight and comfortable do not have to be contradictory terms. This was demonstrated by RECARO at the event with the CL3620 and SL3510 economy class seats that won Crystal Cabin Awards last year. “The judges were impressed by these two products in 2009. Now, one year later, the seats have been successfully launched on the market,” Behnert says. “Qatar Airways, Qantas and V-Australia have opted for the RECARO CL3620 seat. Air France is installing the SL3510.” RECARO Aircraft Seating has now gone one step further by presenting the CL3620 with an optimised single beam design at Aircraft Interiors Expo. In the new version, the power supply for the PC connection is integrated into the beam. “This enabled us to eliminate the conventional power box underneath the seat,” Behnert explains. “The new option sparked a lot of interest among our guests at the exhibition.” The RECARO PL3510 also attracted a number of visitors. “This seat offers outstanding comfort and living space,” says Behnert. “It is targeted for the premium economy class – a segment that is rapidly gaining popularity in the market. In the face of the financial crisis, many companies are cutting costs and are no longer willing to pay for business class flights. Premium economy class
offers a sensible alternative.” Visitors were impressed by the generous seat pitch and wider seat surface. According to Behnert, “We presented our own design model along with the version for Qantas Airways. Thus we were able to clearly show what is possible with custom- specific solutions.”
When it comes to specific airline requirements, RECARO responds with special premium products. “This is our approach to helping the airlines stand out in the market,” explains Behnert. “One example of this is the order from FlyDubai we announced at the event. FlyDubai is the launch customer for our advanced BL3510 economy class seat. Features include the Crystal Cabin Award-winning in-flight entertainment system from Lumexis. We managed to integrate the IFE system with its relatively large display into the backrest with a high literature pocket. This enables passengers to enjoy maximum seating comfort and still have plenty of storage space below the screen ahead of them.” RECARO Aircraft Seating also made a big
impression with its business class expertise. The CL5510 concept seat designed for short and medium-range flights scored points for living space, comfort and lightweight construction. Behnert explains: “What makes this seat so special compared to today's standard products is the new shell designed for a seat pitch of 45 inches. This makes it possible to adjust the seat to any position without disturbing neighbouring passengers.” Products from RECARO Aircraft Seating also attracted attention outside of the exhibition grounds. “Lufthansa took delivery of its first A380 on May 19, 2010. And we are pleased that our products are installed in all three classes on board,” says Behnert. “For each of the 15 aircraft ordered by Lufthansa, we supply 420 economy class seats, 98 business class seats, and components for the seats in the first class cabin.”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44