Star Alliance selects B/E Aerospace to supply seats
04-Oct-2011 Star Alliance has selected B/E Aerospace as its development partner for the Star Alliance long-haul economy seat programme. This joint procurement initiative is aimed at providing member airlines the opportunity to offer their economy class customers superior ergonomic comfort, modern design features and best-in-class technology.
To this effect, both a base and advance version of the seat are being developed. Air China, Austrian and Lufthansa will be the initial member carriers to place these seats on their long-haul fleets, with first deliveries scheduled to begin in 2012.Jeffrey Goh, Vice President Legal and Corporate Services, Star Alliance, said: "Star Alliance has again set an industry trend by becoming the first alliance to partner with an airline seat manufacturer to deliver product innovation to its member carriers. With this initiative we demonstrate that our member carriers can continue to offer differentiated products while at the same time working together to drive synergies, lower costs and enhance the passenger experience."
The vendor selection process was coordinated by Star Alliance and included initial market research along with joint customer trials conducted in both China and Germany earlier in the year. The new seat will benefit member carriers, offering shortened delivery lead times, reduced development expenses and competitive pricing as well as the unique features that will make up the two versions of this seat.