TAP hits two firsts with Recaro’s brand new SL3710 seat

First airline to feature the Recaro SL3710 seat and the first to combine SL3710 and BL3710 in one cabin

AIX, Hamburg, Germany/Lisbon, Portugal 3 April 2019 – Recaro Aircraft Seating and TAP Portugal continue their successful partnership. The flagship Portuguese airline recently appointed Recaro as its preferred seat supplier for their new fleet of 25 Airbus A320/A321’s. The new aircrafts will be the first to feature Recaro’s brand new SL3710 seat. With this order TAP will have another worldwide premiere, as they will also be the first cabins equipped with a combination of the SL3710 and BL3710 created by Recaro.

The SL3710 is the new generation of Recaro’s highflying SL3510 seat. As a slimmer version of its older sibling, this 8kg lightweight seat sets a new benchmark in the market.

The SL3710 keeps costs low over the entire lifecycle, contributing to a lower TCO and explaining why Recaro nicknamed the seat the ‘efficiency performer’. With regards to design, the clear focus on efficiency strikes again. Due to less fragile parts the SL3710 is highly reliable and the perfect embodiment of Recaro’s claim on premium quality products in the sky.

A spare parts commonality with the BL3710, reduces the maintenance costs of the SL3710 to a minimum. Besides common parts, the two seats also share a common design language which can prove crucial for a consistent look and feel in hybrid layouts. The latter is exactly why TAP decided to go with a combination of these Recaro seats when choosing the right fit for its A320/A321 aircrafts.

On top of that Recaro‘s BL3710 impressed TAP with a cutting-edge combination of lightweight, ergonomic design and exceptional comfort. The seat beautifully reflects Recaro’s high quality standards and design principles and its modularity ensures airlines maximum freedom in seating configuration.

“For me, it’s all about the people behind the company,” says Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of TAP Air Portugal. “Having worked with Recaro before, I know Recaro’s team is one of the best to work with. Throughout the whole tender process, we worked together successfully. Operating as one team paves the way for a great partnership and bright future for TAP Portugal. TAP is investing a lot in new technology aircraft and this partnership with Recaro is essential in the objective of improving even further the product offered to our customer.”

Head of Fleet Planning and Contracts at TAP Air Portugal, Nuno Leal, points out the combination of two types of Recaro seats to fit their cabins: “One of the many benefits working with Recaro is their ingenious design thinking goes beyond the inside and technicalities of the seat. They also deliver quality when it comes to the look and feel of their seats creating much needed synergy and consistency in a cabin, even when implementing multiple models.”

“As returning clients are happy and satisfied clients, we are very pleased to have TAP place another order with Recaro,” Dr. Mark Hiller, Chief Executive Officer and Shareholder of Recaro Aircraft Seating. “Not long ago, TAP and Recaro signed a contract for 6,200 economy and business class seats. The airliner now being the launch operator for the next generation of one of our best-selling economy seats, proves their continued trust in us.”

Qendrim Turkaj, Regional Sales Director at Recaro Aircraft Seating, joins into this laud: “Of course, every new tender is an opportunity to present both the company and its products in the best possible light. Having the advantage of already equipping the aircraft fleet of TAP Air Portugal, we were really keen on getting TAP onboard as a launching partner for our new SL3710.”

The new SL3710 is the successor of the SL3510 and is one of the innovations Recaro presents at the AIX in Hamburg from 2 to 4 April 2019.

 

Photo (from left to right):
Mr. Qendrim Turkaj - Regional Sales Director, Recaro Aircraft Seating
Mr. Bernhardt Seiter - Vice President Sales EMEA, Recaro Aircraft Seating
Mr. Klaus Steinmeyer - Vice President Strategy and Programs, Recaro Aircraft Seating
Mr. Nuno Miguel Faria Leal - Head of Fleet Planning and Contracts, TAP
Dr. Mark Hiller - CEO and Shareholder, Recaro Aircraft Seating
Mr. Trey Urbahn - Chief Strategy Officer, TAP
Ms. Maria Caldeira - Cabin Interiors Product Manager, TAP
Mr. Joel Fragata - Head of In-Flight and On-Ground Product, TAP
Mr. André Seabra de Oliveira Simoes - Fleet Manager, TAP
Mr. Eduardo Sanz Garcia - Fleet Manager, TAP
Mr. Tim Gänger - Platform System Manager, Recaro Aircraft Seating
Mr. Martin Putsch - Shareholder and CEO, Recaro Holding
Ms. Sarah Bahlinger - Product Management, Recaro Aircraft Seating