Earlier this month, Finnair unveiled the refurbishment of its Embraer E190 aircraft. It has been confirmed that Recaro Aircraft Seating is the supplier of the new seats for the airline.
Recaro R1 seats in situ – Image – Finnair
RECARO was selected by Finnair for a cabin retrofit of 12, Embraer E190 aircraft with the RECARO R1 and R2 Economy Class seats.
For Recaro, it marks the second Embraer program to feature the R1 and R2 seats installed in this type of aircraft.
The new cabin will feature a hybrid layout, with the Recaro R2 seat installed in the first nine rows of the cabin, whilst the R1 seats will be in the rest of the cabin. The R2 seats can be used for Business Class seating or economy class, whilst the R1 is intended for Economy Class seating. Both seats feature high-quality materials and embody Finnair’s Nordic design language.
With a 100-seat count, there will be 36 Recaro R2 seats in the front of the aircraft, whilst the remaining 64 seats will be Recaro R1 seats.
The seat covers share the same design language as used in Finnair’s long haul products, as well as their lounge.
R2 seats towards the front of the cabin, R1 seats towards the back – Image, Finnair.
Recaro R1 seats at the back of the cabin – Imafge, Finnair.
The R2 features a high literature pocket with an integrated tablet holder, whilst the seat can recline. Meanwhile, the R1 seats are pre-reclined, with the usual amenities at-seat.
Recaro R2 seats at the front of the cabin – Image, Finnair.
Both the R1 and R2 were selected for their lightweight design, supporting Finnair’s sustainability initiatives.
In Quotes
Mark Hiller, CEO of RECARO Aircraft Seating and RECARO Holding said:
“Our long-standing partnership with Finnair have aided in the development of an outstanding cabin for passengers,”
“By leveraging innovative design and advanced ergonomic solutions, our R1 and R2 seats will ensure comfort and satisfaction for every passenger.”
Turkka Kuusisto, CEO Finnair added:
“The renewal of our Embraer cabins speaks of our continuous drive to improve customer experience, and the seats by RECARO fit well into our design language, while also supporting our targets to reduce aircraft weight.”
Don’t forget the weight too
With this refurbishment, one of the big aims was to reduce the weight of the aircraft, whilst trying to improve the cabin. Seats make a big part of this, with their weight and support structures. The R1 starts at 8kg per seat, whilst the R2 comes in a little heavier at just under 10kg per seat.
This adds up over the lifetime of an aircraft, as fuel is directly used to lift the contents of the aircraft into the air. Reducing the weight of an aircraft thus reduces fuel burn (and the cost of taking that aircraft into the sky), as well as improving the sustainability of that flight and the aircraft of its life.
The weight agenda isn’t going away soon – as it’s one place where airlines see easy gains.
For Finnair passengers, it comes with some reasonable seats for the short-haul missions they will fly.
Images, Finnair for Recaro.
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