In line with Frontier Airlines’ mission of being “America’s Greenest Airline”, the ultra low-cost carrier is installing Recaro Aircraft Seating’s SL3710 economy class seat in its fleet, beginning with an A320neo. The deal marks its North American debut of the seat, which weighs from 8kg. The Frontier order is a part of a larger award between Recaro and Indigo Partners, which consists of 100,000 seats being delivered to Frontier, Wizz Air, Volaris, JetSmart and Enerjet.
Frontier is slated to receive 156 Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft over the next six years, which will be equipped with 186 and 240 SL3710 seats, respectively. Starting in July 2020, Recaro ramped up the customisation and certification process to ensure the first seats would begin delivery in February 2021.
The low weight is achieved through the use of lightweight materials and a low parts count, the latter being a quality that Recaro says can also drive a 50% reduction in maintenance requirements for airlines. Frontier added to the environmental credentials of the seat by specifying seat coverings created with a lightweight, recycled leather.
“This new aircraft [the A320neo], the first to feature the new Recaro seats, represents a significant milestone for our company,” said Barry Biffle, CEO of Frontier Airlines. “We are in continuous pursuit of leading-edge strategies to reduce our environmental footprint and, at the same time, reduce fuel costs, which enables us to pass savings on to consumers in the form of lower fares.”
Colorado-based Frontier Airlines operates more than 100 A320 family aircraft and has the largest A320neo fleet in the USA, serving approximately 100 destinations in North America. Frontier says that its use of these aircraft, its dense seating configuration, weight-saving tactics and baggage process have all contributed to making it the most fuel-efficient airline in the USA.
