RECARO WINS CRYSTAL CABIN AWARD 2026 FOR ITS R SPHERE ECONOMY CLASS SUSTAINABILITY DEMONSTRATOR

The R Sphere concept was developed as a sustainability demonstrator to explore new approaches to environmentally responsible aircraft seating. The concept combines innovative materials, lightweight design and circular thinking to reduce environmental impact while maintaining the high standards of comfort, quality and design associated with RECARO.

Through optimized seat design, the R Sphere achieves a weight reduction of 1.5 kg per passenger seat. This can result in approximately 55 tons of CO₂ emissions saved per aircraft per year for a typical single-aisle aircraft.

A key focus of the R Sphere is the use of innovative and sustainable materials. The concept features recycled PVC introduced as standard for cable plates, literature pockets made from discarded fishing nets use more than 90 percent reused and upcycled material, while real wood bumper inlays combine natural materials with elegant design. All these three features have been successfully certified.

The fishing-net literature pocket and the wooden inlay are already flying as an innovative trial on Iberia A320neo.

“It is a great honor to receive the Crystal Cabin Award for our R Sphere sustainability demonstrator. Thank you for this wonderful recognition of our strategy to deliver sustainable solutions for our seats,” said Dr. Mark Hiller, CEO & Shareholder of RECARO Aircraft Seating and CEO of RECARO Holding. “R Sphere shows that sustainability is a continuous innovation process. This award belongs to the highly dedicated RECARO team who went above and beyond to deliver upcycled solutions underlining our lightweight design DNA.”

“We are extremely grateful to receive this recognition. R Sphere demonstrates how innovative design and material choices can contribute to more sustainable aircraft seating solutions. By combining lightweight design with new sustainable materials, the concept shows how environmental responsibility can be integrated into cabin design.” added Hartmut Schürg, CTO of RECARO Aircraft Seating and Chief Brand & Design Officer of RECARO Holding.”