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HAMBURG — Tapped to develop a customised seating product for Southwest Airlines’ future Boeing 737 MAX deliveries starting in 2025, Recaro Aircraft Seating used the occasion of the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) to showcase the seat for the very first time alongside airline management. electronic equipment parts
Clad in Tapis-supplied blue seat covers, the modern-looking seat features some new elements: a multi-adjustable headrest design; an armrest with ostensibly extended width, and two cup holders in the tray table which Southwest vice president of customer experience Bill Tierney said will facilitate the 10% of the population who are left-handed.
Seatback device holders will accommodate passengers’ tablets and smart phones, enabling them to enjoy the carrier’s wireless entertainment and inflight connectivity.
Based on Recaro’s award-winning and recently renamed R2 model, the customised seats represent the culmination of 18 months of testing and collaboration, including a familiarisation program for Southwest’s maintenance teams. They will be installed as part of a wider cabin refresh designed by Southwest’s design partner, Tangerine, which also elicited feedback from passengers and crew to inform the seat’s design.
Your author was able to try the seat briefly at the AIX unveiling event, and found it to be attractive and comfortable. The headrest was firm and supportive for this 6’4 journalist. Even when it was repeatedly fiddled with by inquisitive journalists at AIX, the headrest remained sturdy.
I could not ascertain much difference in the armrest when seated in the middle of a seat triple, squeezed between two equally strapping attendees. And g iven that only one Southwest seat triple was presented on Recaro’s stand, it was not possible to identify legroom.
But the second cup holder is a genuinely useful addition, especially when considering the additional spill risk for passengers who would otherwise need to use their non-dominant hand. Tierney also highlighted the benefits of this feature for passengers travelling with children, noting that parents can place drinks in different locations to reduce spillages from fidgety toddlers.
The weight of the baseline seating platform is about 12kg, in line with the slimline R2 model, but neither Tierney nor Recaro Aircraft Seating CEO Dr. Mark Hiller would be drawn on the actual ‘all-in’ weight inclusive of the features specified by Southwest — the PED holders, more comfortable headrest, and in-seat power.
Visually, the seat is a smart design, using geometric shapes that draw inspiration from Southwest’s previous and current liveries and connote stitched comfort.
The new headrest houses two small accent sections of light blue on an otherwise all-deep blue palette, giving the seat a more premium feel.
This seat is part of Southwest’s broader strategy to invest in improving the cabin experience, including with better Wi-Fi for passengers.
All new 737 MAX 8 aircraft delivered to Southwest are also being outfitted with Astronics’ in-seat USB-A and USB-C power ports and larger overhead bins, with USB-A and -C installed in the seats on Recaro’s stand.
Whilst Recaro and Southwest billed the new features of the seat as being bespoke, neither party would confirm whether Southwest has, or will have, exclusive rights to certain features, although conversations are apparently ongoing.
The customised R2 seat will be linefitted to MAX aircraft delivered from Boeing from 2025.Thus far, Southwest has no plans to retrofit the seat to any of its existing fleet, which fly with seats based on Collins Aerospace’s Meridian platform. The carrier has said, however, that it will retrofit USB-A and USB-C power ports and larger overhead bins to its current -800s and MAX 8s.
“Collins Aerospace is and will continue to be a significant partner to Southwest Airlines. Additionally, a second supplier reduces risk in case of future supply chain interruptions,” the airline previously explained to RGN.
All images credited to the author, Fintan Horan-Stear
phone mount Contributing Writer Fintan is a London-based aviation and transport ‘enthusiastic amateur’, writing about trends and developments in the industry with a specific focus on passenger experience and “soft product” elements. His interest in aviation was sparked by the golden age of Pan American and the jet age, and still feels the thrill of adventure on... Read More