Japanese carrier, All Nippon Airways (ANA) has announced that it intends to install new seats on its domestic aircraft fleet as part of its strategy to improve passenger comfort. The programme will involve the fitting of new seats, as well as increasing the number of premium class seats on domestic flights.
Eight Boeing 777-200 and 11 Boeing 787-8 aircraft have been selected for the renovations, which are set to begin in autumn 2019, with completion due by the first half of FY2022. In addition to improvements for both premium and economy class seats, the number of premium class seats on the renovated planes will be increased to a total of 28 (up from 21 seats on the B777-200 and 12 on the B787-8).
The seats in economy class (364 seats on the B777-200 and 284 on the B787-8) are being supplied by Toyota Boshoku, a top automotive seat designer in Japan. ANA worked with Toyota Boshoku on the seat design, with key factors including ergonomic seating comfort, access to technology, and passenger safety. According to the supplier, the design team considered a full range of body types and postures to find the ideal balance for the seat as well as to determine monitor positioning, with pressure distributed evenly throughout the body for seated comfort. The shape of the backrest frame has also been optimised to suit a range of body types.
The seats are not entirely unfamiliar to the airline or indeed its passengers, as this seat design has already been installed in six ANA B767-300 aircraft, with the airline reporting that it has received “overwhelmingly positive” customer feedback. Bonus features for the bigger Boeings include an 11.6-in touchscreen IFE monitor – the largest in ANA’s domestic economy class fleet – and a beverage holder.
“ANA strives to set the standard for comfort on all our flights, and few things play as big a part in passenger comfort as the seat,” said Hideki Kunugi, EVP of ANA. “These changes will allow ANA to meet shifts in demand while ensuring unrivalled comfort and convenience for our passengers. We believe in constantly working to improve the travel experience, and these new seats will place ANA head and shoulders above the competition.”
The updated premium class seats will feature a 15inch touchscreen IFE monitor – also the largest yet in ANA’s domestic premium class – complemented by an enhanced entertainment library. The new seats will be made of an advanced fabric to increase comfort and will offer an ergonomic storage space below the monitor for storing personal items, as well as a rotating table, a retractable side table and a privacy partition between the seats.
