Lufthansa-affiliated Austrian Airlines is to reconfigure 32 short-haul aircraft in its fleet with new seats from Recaro as part of a European product overhaul.
The airline is to refit its Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 fleets with the new seating, which will provide up to 10cm more leg-room for passengers.
Austrian adds that the seats take less space and that it will be able to fit, on average, almost five more into each aircraft.
The airline says it will complete the upgrade by September next year and expects to save over 14t in total weight as a result.
Austrian is taking 4,650 new seats from Recaro. It says they are at least 3kg lighter than those being replaced.
"We're improving the product for our customers, conserving fuel and reducing unit costs," says Austrian board member Andreas Bierwirth.
Austrian adds that the cabin change will include a new colour scheme and that it is also looking at standardising its on-board galley fittings.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
