The Boeing Company has recently selected a new seat supplier for their 737 aircraft, which is their most popular aircraft. According to a Reuters report, the Boeing Company has said that they have already selected eleven suppliers for economy seats, although, there will only be one company to sell seats directly to Boeing for the 737 Next Generation aircraft as well as its successor, the 737 MAX Aircraft. LIFT by EnCore, a California-based firm, will be directly supplying Boeing with their latest Tourist Class Seating for both the Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft and the upcoming MAX variant, which is currently in development. According to the Reuters report, the other suppliers will be selling seats to airlines, which has been a longtime business practice that allows airline carriers to customize their cabins to their own preferences.
“We welcomed the opportunity to partner with Boeing to deliver a seat that perfectly complements the Boeing Sky Interior while setting the industry standard for comfort and reliability,”
said the chief executive office and owner of the EnCore group of companies, Tom McFarland.
As aircraft production has increased in the recent years, aircraft seat part suppliers have been struggling to successfully deliver seats on time. This delay causes subsequent delays in the production of the aircraft, which then causes manufacturers to miss their set deadlines, ultimately creating for the potential for airlines to miss scheduled flight opportunities. For instance, when Zodiac Aerospace failed to deliver seats on time, both Airbus and Boeing missed their deadlines.
“This collaboration will allow airlines and leasing companies to build on the success of the Boeing Sky Interior in a whole new way,”
said the director of the Seat Integration Team at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Alan Wittman.
“It also means our customers will be able to better serve their customers and differentiate themselves in the marketplace.”
LIFT’s new Tourist Class Seating will compete against other slim line models produced by companies such as Zodiac Aerospace, B/E Aerospace, and Recaro, among others.
