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Alaska Airlines partners with Recaro for major fleet retrofit

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Alaska Airlines partners with Recaro for major fleet retrofit
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Mary Kirby Editor and Publisher | Runway Girl Network

Alaska Airlines has announced plans to enhance premium seating capacity on over 200 Boeing 737 aircraft, including expanding the First Class cabin on its Boeing 737-800s and adding extra-legroom Premium Class seats on its Boeing 787-900ER and Boeing 737 MAX 9 twinjets.

Recaro Aircraft Seating, a longtime partner of Alaska Airlines, will provide R5 recliners and R2 slimline seats for the retrofit of Alaska’s 737-800 and MAX 8 aircraft. This project encompasses 79 aircraft with a total passenger count of 12,719. Currently, Alaska operates 59 Boeing 737-800s and a few MAX 8s but expects to receive more for a total of 20. Seat deliveries are set to begin in the fourth quarter. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“As the launch customer for R5 in 2017, Alaska will bring an enhanced level of comfort to their passengers by making significant upgrades to the seats,” confirmed Recaro regarding the newly-upgraded R5 seats (formerly known as CL4710) for Alaska Airlines’ -800s and MAX 8s.

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The upgraded seating will include a six-way adjustable headrest, calf rest, BYOD holder integrated into the seat back, and USB-C connectivity. The R5 recliner is undergoing a refresh under this new retrofit project. Alaska Airlines plans to expand First Class from 12 seats to 16 on both aircraft types.

The retrofitted aircraft will also feature Recaro’s R2 slimline seats in Main Cabin and Premium Class. Formerly known as BL3710, the award-winning R2 is described by Recaro as “a lighter, more modern version of the seat currently in flight” equipped with a comfort plus cushion.

“The R2 with its lightweight design will allow for a more efficient cabin layout without compromising passenger space,” added Recaro. “This change will play a role in reducing cabin weight and support sustainability initiatives of both Recaro and Alaska.”

Main Cabin and Premium Class passengers can expect new device holders with built-in cup holders, USB-C charging ports, and six-way headrests with dedicated neck support.

Despite increasing its premium seat mix, Alaska Airlines stated that its Boeing twinjets would maintain four lavatories for passenger use.

Under Alaska Airlines’ broader fleet retrofit plan, First Class cabins aboard its Boeing 787-900ERs and Boeing 737 MAX 9s will remain at 16 seats each. However, extra-legroom Premium Class seating will increase from 24 to 30 seats per aircraft type.

As part of modifying the Boeing 737-900ERs to add Premium Class by converting six Main Cabin seats, these aircraft will receive an interior refresh featuring modern touches like device holders in the main cabin.

“All MAX 9 aircraft, among the newest in our fleet, will also get six additional seats converted to their Premium cabins,” assured Alaska Airlines.

The expansion is expected to add approximately 1.3 million premium seats annually to the mainline fleet. Earlier this year, Alaska retrofitted its entire regional fleet by adding around 400,000 Premium Class seats to its Embraer E175 aircraft.

Retrofits are scheduled to start next year and are projected for completion by 2026.

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