Chinese aircraft manufacturer, COMAC, has entered into a contract with Expliseat, a French aircraft seat manufacturer, to develop lightweight economy seats to be installed on new ARJ21 aircraft.
The seat is based on Expliseat’s latest TiSeat E2 seat platform, constructed from carbon fibre composite and titanium. The modular design has been certified for use on various aircraft platforms, and for COMAC the seat will be adjusted to the ARJ21’s cabin dimensions to optimise passenger living space and comfort, even in dense cabin configurations.
For passenger comfort, the TiSeat E2 includes a new recline mechanism, which Expliseat says makes it the world’s lightest reclining seat. The seat is claimed to be 40% lighter than the closest equivalent certified seats made by competitors, with that light weight giving ARJ21 operators opportunities to increase revenues by carrying more cargo, reducing fuel burn, or increasing the range of the aircraft – useful for the regional market with small isolated airports and large territories to cover.
