TAP Begins Flying With Sensor-Equipped Recaro iSeats
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TAP Air Portugal is gathering data from economy-class smart seats by Recaro, with the aim of enhancing the passenger experience.
Several of Recaro Aircraft Seating’s BL3530 iSeats, which are equipped with sensors, are currently in operation on a TAP Air Portugal Airbus A321 aircraft.
The sensors gather data on seat performance and generic behavior during flight, such as such as if the seat is occupied; how many times a passenger uses the tray table, raises the armrests or reclines the seat; and whether the seatbelt is fastened.
“TAP Air Portugal is very excited to have been chosen by Recaro as a partner airline to pioneer the investigation of passenger’s comfort during their flights,” said Nuno Leal, head of Fleet Planning and Contracts at TAP. “The iSeat will provide further data regarding the passengers’ needs and behaviors that will help TAP Air Portugal and Recaro in the development of new generations of seats.”
According to Violina Mikova, innovation manager at Recaro Aircraft Seating, the first commercial flight equipped with the iSeats took place on September 26, and the first data collection occurred on October 24. Data retrieval will take place every two months during the six-month trial run.
The data will be analyzed to track general passenger preferences and enable predictive maintenance. The technology could also be used to increase efficiency for cabin crew, by sensing whether the seat and tray table are in the correct position during take-off and landing, or whether the seatbelt is fastened.
Passengers will not be able to tell whether they are in an iSeat, according to Mikova. “The passenger’s comfort is not influenced in any way,” she explained. “No difference between a normal seat and a smart seat can be seen or felt.”