Featured imagE: RECARO

airBaltic Selects RECARO Aircraft Seating for Entire Fleet

DALLAS – Latvia’s national carrier airBaltic (BT) will equip its fleet of Airbus A220-300 aircraft with RECARO aircraft seating.

The Riga (RIX) based airline, which operates a single-type fleet, will furnish its entire fleet of Airbus A220-300 aircraft with RECARO economy class seats. The announcement was made on 29 May by BT’s President Martin Gauss and RECARO’s CEO Mark Hiller during the annual Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) 2024 in Hamburg (HAM), Germany.

airBlatic will become the first airline in Europe and the second one in the world to feature RECARO seats on A220-300 aircraft. The first airBaltic A220-300 aircraft equipped with new RECARO seats is planned for 2026.

The RECARO aircraft seat aim to set new industry standards with a combination of lightweight, ergonomic design, and comfort. BT’s passengers will benefit from a spacious and ergonomic seating experience with features such as an integrated headrest, a 30-inch seat pitch, backrest recline, and individual power access at each seat with type USB-C port. To maintain similar design across all fleet, the new seats will remain in the light grey leather design.

Photo: RECARO

About RECARO, airBaltic

RECARO Aircraft Seating is known as a leader in aircraft seat manufacturing. The company delivers seating solutions for economy, premium and business class,  combining innovation with comfort.

The company invests heavily in R&D, while maintaining "a focus on reliability, efficiency, and sustainability." Headquartered in Schwaebisch Hall, Germany, the legacy of the family-owned company is supported by more than 2,500 skilled employees across its sites in China, Poland, South Africa and the United States.

Mark Hiller, CEO of RECARO Aircraft Seating and RECARO Holding said, "Teaming up with airBaltic marks an exciting opportunity for us at RECARO. Our economy class seat will elevate passenger comfort within the airBaltic cabin to new levels, and I am confident this collaboration is the beginning of a long-lasting partnership.”

airBaltic operates more than 130 routes from RIX, Tallinn (TLL), Vilnius (VNO) and Tampere (TMP), offering connections to a wide range of destinations in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Caucasus region. Over the last 28 years BT has developed into a strong and internationally respected airline, which employs more than 2 500 employees. The BT fleet consists of 47 Airbus A220-300 aircraft, making it one of the youngest fleets in Europe.

The airline's President and CEO, Martin Gauss said, “This year, we will celebrate already eight years since airBaltic became the global launch operator of the Airbus A220-300 aircraft type. To elevate the passenger comfort and travel experience even more, we are excited to reveal our plans to collaborate with RECARO Aircraft Seating on our new seat offer, which will benefit the airBaltic passengers travelling within the airline’s wide network in Europe and beyond.”

Exploring Airline History Volume I

David H. Stringer, the History Editor for AIRWAYS Magazine, has chronicled the story of the commercial aviation industry with his airline history articles that have appeared in AIRWAYS over two decades. Here, for the first time, is a compilation of those articles.

Subjects A through C are presented in this first of three volumes. Covering topics such as the airlines of Alaska at the time of statehood and Canada's regional airlines of the 1960s, the individual histories of such carriers as Allegheny, American, Braniff, and Continental are also included in Volume One. Get your copy today!