easyJet is announcing an order of brand-new, lighter-weight seats partnering with Mirus Aircraft Seating.
easyJet’s new seat featuring the Mirus Kesttral – Image, easyJet
The new seat are expected to be over 20% lighter than those used currently, while also offering up to two inches of additional legroom for each passengers.
The airline has selected the Kestral seat by British manufacturer Mirus Aircraft Seating. These will feature across easyJet’s future Airbus A320neo and A321neo fleet, which covers future aircraft deliveries from 2028. easyJet will use these seats as part of its ongoing strategy to reduce emissions and fuel burn, while improving operational efficiency.
According to the airline, the Kestrel is the lightest seat in its class thanks to its advanced lightweight structure, which will lead to a weight saving of up to 500kg per aircraft for larger models in easyJet’s fleet – estimated to deliver a combined annual fuel saving of over 12,936 tonnes, equivalent to over 40,513 tonnes of CO2.
The Kestrel seat is designed for short-to-medium haul operations and offers industry-leading passenger space and comfort. Its ergonomic design allows passengers to enjoy improved legroom without changing seat pitch itself, while its unique pre-reclined structure enhances comfort, which ensures improved knee and shin clearance for passengers.
The Kestrel seats have also been engineered with sustainability and lifecycle performance in mind. Its low part count and simplified design reduce maintenance requirements, while its robust structure ensures long-term durability in service. At the end of life, the seat is approximately 98% recyclable, supporting circularity and reducing waste.
The seats have been developed and tested at Mirus’ UK-based MTEST facility, one of the largest commercial testing centres of its kind, which reduces time, cost and carbon emissions by eliminating the need to transport seats for external certification.
In Quotes
David Morgan, Chief Operating Officer at easyJet, said:
“We are delighted to be introducing the Mirus Kestrel seat across our future fleet. This investment supports our continued focus on making our operations as efficient as possible, capitalising on small incremental gains that result in meaningful reductions in fuel burn and Co2 emissions.
“On top of the sustainability benefits, the additional legroom and enhanced comfort these seats will provide will also deliver an improved onboard experience for our customers which we know they’ll love.”
Ben McGuire, Chief Executive Officer, Mirus:
“Mirus is incredibly proud that easyJet, the UK’s largest airline and one of the world’s leading carriers, has placed its trust in us for what represents one of the largest single-model aircraft seat awards ever. This landmark agreement marks a defining moment for Mirus and reflects our shared commitment to enhancing passenger experience and comfort, while delivering sustainability and significant operational cost savings through reduced fuel burn and CO₂ emissions.”
Reducing weight and CO2
As well as the new seats, easyJet is taking measures to reduce its CO2 output, including expanding its Airbus A320neo family, refitting A320ceos with Sharklets, better taxi management, lighter weight paints, APU reduction of use, better navigation software and the deployment of the AirbusSpaceFlex rear galley and lavatory arrangements.
Of course, weight continues to be a key issue, so shedding weight on seats is a win for the airline, especially when it can offer improved legroom in a pre-reclined seat.
Your author has seen the Mirus range at various shows in the past – and yes, it’s a lightweight seat that’s pre-reclined. That’s not going to be to some people’s tastes (especially when the backrests are thin). But for short to medium range missions, it’s “good enough”.
Especially if it increases the living space by two extra inches of legroom.
We will dive into this during Aircraft Interiors Expo a little deeper.
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