3530Swift economy class seat takes off

The 3530Swift seat, which Airbus and RECARO offer as SFE for the A320 Family, is one of the latest examples of the company’s innovative strength. Lessor CALC (for Jetstar Pacific in Vietnam), lessor ICBC (for Interjet in Mexico) as well as the Faroe Islands’ Atlantic Airways airline have ordered the SFE seats for eight aircraft from the A320 Family. Furthermore, lessor CIT and an undisclosed Chinese lessor selected this seat for their single-aisle A320ceo and A320neo Family, with a combined total order of over 100 aircraft. The first seat deliveries are to begin in July 2016. CALC/Jetstar Pacific and ICBC/Interjet will be the first customers to receive the 3530Swift seat for their new aircraft.

"Having unveiled this project with Airbus at last year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, we are now the first seat supplier to deliver SFE seats for the A320 Family – and we’re very proud of this fact," says Dr. Mark Hiller, Chief Executive Officer and Shareholder of RECARO Aircraft Seating. "The customers were not only impressed by the 3530Swift’s many innovative seating features, but also by its short-term availability. These seats are available in predefined, pre-qualified and pre-certified Airbus layouts and catalog configurations. This saves considerable time usually required for individual product approval."

Airbus’ decision to take RECARO Aircraft Seating on board as its exclusive partner in developing the 3530Swift confirms RECARO’s product strategy which focuses on passenger comfort, lightweight design and efficiency. RECARO Aircraft Seating’s consistent performance in terms of process stability, product quality and reliable delivery also played a key role in the decision. "Our customers recognize our impressive track record in the aircraft seating industry which is based on innovation leadership, high annual growth rates, outstanding operational performance and a strong global brand," says Mark Hiller. "Our mission is to be the best seat supplier for our customers. The 3530Swift underlines the success of our philosophy of excellence, which we have been pursuing for eight years now."

Joachim Ley, Executive Vice President Supply Chain at RECARO Aircraft Seating, adds: "Manufacturing precisely what the customer wants and needs with maximum efficiency and within a very short timeframe is not an easy task in the sector in which we operate. It is characterized by immense diversity of variants and capacity fluctuations in production. To be successful, we need smoothly running processes with direct and efficient communication paths and swift decision-making. The Lean methods that we introduced have put us in an excellent market position. They have had an immediate and positive impact on our operations."

The aircraft seat supplier’s quality and adherence to delivery dates have been outstanding for many years now. In the very first year after extending the Lean initiative from operations to becoming a Lean enterprise, the company was able to reduce lead times for customer orders by more than 30 percent. "Lean is of utmost importance for us. It plays a key role in our worldwide network," says Mark Hiller. Aircraft manufacturers and independent institutions honor RECARO’s commitment to meeting the demanding on-time and on-quality targets at all international sites. Airbus awarded the company its Gold Award for "Best Performer" in late 2015. In 2014, the RECARO team at the U.S. site in Fort Worth, Texas, received the Performance Excellence Award from the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center (TMAC) for successful Lean Six Sigma implementation. Furthermore, RECARO Aircraft Seating’s headquarters in Schwaebisch Hall, Germany, was voted "Best Factory of 2015." The "Industrial Excellence Award 2015" judges chose the company as Germany’s winner of the renowned industry competition. "We don’t intend to rest on our laurels," Hiller concludes. "These positive results encourage us to continue on our success path. Our goal is to continue to evolve our company to the benefit of our customers around the world with our philosophy of continuous improvement."