No Mean Feat: Recaro to Supply 30,000 Seats for EasyJet
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APEX Insight: APEX Media spoke to Recaro Aircraft Seating to get the lowdown on a 30,000-unit order placed by EasyJet for its lightweight SL3510 aircraft seats. Weighing 40 percent less than rival offerings, Recaro CEO Dr. Mark Hiller calls the company’s ultra-slim design “a benchmark” for airlines. In particular, Dr. Hiller says the SL3510 seating series are “ideal for low-cost and legacy carriers offering short-haul flights.”
Recaro Aircraft Seating just scored a very comfortable contract with EasyJet to retrofit and line-fit the British airline’s entire fleet.
The deal has the German-based Recaro providing 30,000 SL3510 short-haul units to retrofit EasyJet’s existing 56 A320 aircraft and for the installation of an additional 100 A320neo jets the airline plans to get up and running. Dr. Mark Hiller, Recaro’s chief executive officer, tells APEX Media the company’s commitment to excellence “proves that good quality prevails in the market.”
The SL3510 design is based around a lightweight aluminum frame, with each seat weighing just 20 pounds. The new lightness will allow EasyJet to shed 1,322 pounds from its aircraft loads, which will immediately lower fuel consumption – a major appeal to all low-cost carriers operating on razor thin margins.
It wasn’t just weight trimming benefits that caught the attention of Europe’s second largest budget carrier. Dr. Hiller said the SL3510’s ultra slim profile will also give EasyJet’s passengers more leg room than other seat models.
Recaro insists none of these innovations will compromise the wellbeing of passengers. “The backrest angle is pre-defined for a relaxed sitting position, and netting in the aluminum frame conforms to the shape of the passenger’s spine,” he explained, adding these characteristics will allow passengers to “enjoy a very comfortable short-range flight.”