Seat Shortages Challenge Airlines’ Efforts to Upgrade and Attract Passengers

Airlines aiming to upgrade their fleets and captivate passengers with new cabin designs are facing a significant hurdle due to ongoing shortages of aircraft seats, particularly in first and business class. These shortages are exacerbating supply chain bottlenecks, delaying plans to introduce modernized cabin interiors.

The scarcity of premium aircraft seats, crucial for distinguishing airline service offerings, is attributed to a mix of stricter certification regulations and persistent labor shortages following the pandemic. This disruption comes as airlines, like Lufthansa and Emirates, are eager to unveil new cabins to recover from the pandemic’s financial impacts. Lufthansa recently launched a new long-haul cabin configuration as part of a €2.5 billion investment, which experienced delays due to these supply issues.

Emirates is also undergoing an extensive $2 billion retrofit program, further straining the demand on seat suppliers. French aerospace company Safran, a leading supplier of aircraft seats, reported a 25% drop in business-class seat deliveries in the first quarter, with some shipments postponed to the next quarter due to certification challenges described as “much more demanding” by regulators.

The seat production issue is complicated by the intricate engineering, manufacturing, and certification processes required for premium seats, according to industry analysts. Both Boeing and Airbus executives have acknowledged that the broader supply chain, including cabin equipment, remains tight, impacting production schedules and delivery timelines.

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun noted that seat supply constraints are directly affecting the production of Boeing’s 787 wide-body aircraft. Similarly, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury mentioned ongoing difficulties in obtaining not only seats but also other cabin equipment and aerostructures.

To address the backlog, seat manufacturers like Recaro Aircraft Seating have added extra shifts and are installing seats without complete in-flight entertainment systems, which are also delayed due to electronics shortages. Recaro is adopting bespoke solutions for many of its orders to cope with these unprecedented demands.

This collective challenge is felt across the industry as airlines strive to enhance their long-haul offerings and meet the surging demand for air travel. The frustration with the slow recovery of the aviation supply chain post-COVID-19 was succinctly expressed by Emirates CEO Sir Tim Clark, highlighting the ongoing struggles to retrofit a vast number of aircraft amidst these supply constraints.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ft.com