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Within the framework of its A320 fleet reconfiguration process

Avianca reveals its new “Premium”, “Plus” and “Economy” seats

  • The airline introduces to the market the new interior configuration of its A320 aircraft with three types of seats: Premium, Plus and Economy.
  • The Premium seat will be available from the first semester of the next year, an exclusive design by Recaro Aircraft Seating (Recaro) for Avianca that will offer clients more comfort during their flight.
  • The first fully reconfigured aircraft will be ready during the second quarter of 2022. Until this date and until the transition is fully completed, the fleet will have aircraft that will look different inside.
  • With the cabin redesign, the airline will offer 20% more seats, allowing for lower prices and a 13% reduction of CO2 emissions per passenger.

Bogota, October 25, 2021.- During ALTA Airline Leaders Forum 2021, an event hosted by the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association in Bogota, Avianca presented its three new seats: Premium, Plus and Economy, all designed by Recaro Aircraft Seating (Recaro) and will soon be available in the airline’s reconfigured fleet.

These are the seats that will be available on Avianca’s short and medium-haul flights:

 

* Some details may differ from the final design

  • Premium: a model developed exclusively by Recaro for Avianca, that will be available on the first three rows of the aircraft. This will be the widest seat for passengers who prefer traveling with the greatest comfort. The design will have a central console with individual compartments, a power plug, USB port and recline up.
  • Plus: available for those who prefer being closer to the door when disembarking. Available between rows 4 and 14, this seat’s design is light and comfortable, it has an independent headrest with 6 positions for better rest, an independent stand for personal electronic devices, USB ports and recline up.
  • Economy: with a simpler design and located between rows 15 and 32, the client will have access to a better price, with additional services available for purchase to customize the travel experience. This pre-reclined seat has a stand for personal electronic devices integrated into the table and USB ports.

The new interior design of the aircraft also includes Airbus’ SpaceFlex, a module that optimizes the rear of the aircraft, combining the galleys and lavatories, allowing Avianca to increase its seat capacity.

“The installation of more than 14 thousand seats and the new lavatory space in all of our A320 aircraft will be completed by the end of 2022. Until that date and pending the full transition of the fleet, our clients will find aircraft that will look different inside and will not have the final configuration; they will soon fly in aircraft with a renewed interior on which they will continue to travel comfortably, safely and pleasantly”. Said Albert Perez, Vice President of Engineering and Maintenance for Avianca.

According to the airline, more than 100 Avianca experts have been working for over one year in the redesign project, with the participation of great strategic partners. Among these partners are Recaro, who is manufacturing all of the new seats, one of them exclusively for Avianca, and Airbus, with whom the airline is taking better advantage of the rear of the aircraft thanks to SpaceFlex and who have accompanied the reconfiguration process directly.

The seat design defined by Recaro reduces the weight per passenger by over 30% on each aircraft in addition to decreasing CO2 emissions per transported passenger by an average of 13%, becoming friendlier to the environment.

In the following days, clients will begin to see the Plus and Economy seats on flights within Colombia. The airline estimates that the first fully redesigned aircraft will be ready by the second quarter of 2022 and the full and final configuration of the A320 fleet will be completed by the end of 2022. It also confirmed that the 787 Dreamliner aircraft, currently used for long-haul flights in America and Europe, will preserve the traditional business class cabin and the rest of the aircraft will be redesigned adding state-of-the-art seats and, considering this is a time of transition, clients will find aircraft with different-looking interiors.

“Our partnership with Avianca has resulted in a one-of-a-kind seat design which will offer an exceptional experience to premium passengers,” Dr. Mark Hiller, CEO and Shareholder of Recaro Aircraft Seating. “In addition to the personalized amenities selected for each seat product, their lightweight structures will improve aircraft efficiency, which is a top priority for both Avianca and Recaro.”

“We are proud that Avianca has selected Airbus Services for a complete cabin reconfiguration for their existing A320 Family fleet. By choosing Airbus’ SpaceFlex next generation, Avianca is preparing for the future, by ramping up their aircraft for the full recovery of air traffic.”, Arturo Barreira, President Airbus Latin America & the Caribbean.

About Avianca Holdings S.A.:

Avianca is the commercial brand that integrates the passenger and cargo transportation airlines grouped under Avianca Holdings S.A. Currently, Avianca offers its clients one of the most robust networks in Latin America with 100 routes, more than 2,680 weekly flights and close to 400,000 weekly seats.