EasyJet to equip new planes with ultra-lightweight seats for extra legroom

Low-cost carrier easyJet has announced it will install ultra-lightweight seats on more than 200 new aircraft, cutting down on CO² emissions and providing extra legroom for passengers.

The ‘Kestrel’ seats, from made by the UK manufacturer Mirus Aircraft Seating, are designed specifically for short- and medium-haul aircraft.

According to the manufacturer, the seats are 20% lighter than current seats and will allow up to 2 inches of additional legroom per passenger without reducing flight capacity. In fact, some new aircraft will have an additional row of seating due to the extra space generated in the rear of the cabin by the new seats.

The legroom gains come without any alteration to the seat pitch or tilt, and the seats will provide additional comfort and shin/knee clearance for passengers. The ultra thin seats cannot be manually reclined and are made of carbon fibre instead of plastic, which the makers say contributes to the seats’ slimmer profile.

A fleet of 237 new aircraft in the A320neo and A321neo range, coming into service from 2028 onwards, will be kitted out with the next-generation seating.

“We are delighted to be introducing the Kestrel seat across our future fleet. This investment supports our continued focus on making our operations as efficient as possible, capitalising on small incremental gains that result in meaningful reductions in fuel burn and CO₂ emissions,” said easyJet Chief Operating Officer David Morgan in a press release.

“On top of the sustainability benefits, the additional legroom and enhanced comfort these seats will also deliver an improved onboard experience for our customers which we know they’ll love.”

French destinations

It is not yet known what routes the new aircraft will be used on, but French destinations are almost certain to be covered as the new fleet represents a modernisation of more than half of the airline’s current fleet of 356 planes.

According to figures from its website, easyJet flies to more than 150 destinations across Europe and North Africa, with France one of its largest markets. The low-cost carrier operates flights from 22 French airports including both Paris airports, Nice, Lyon and Bordeaux.

Use of the seats will see the new aircraft weigh around 500kg less than models without them installed, seeing each aircraft save 12,936 tonnes of aviation fuel across its lifespan – equivalent to over 40,513 tonnes of CO².

A reduction in aviation fuel consumption is timely, with easyJet CEO Kenton Jarvis recently announcing ticket prices on the airline may rise due to a reduction in fuel supply related to the current conflict in the Middle East.  

The seats are also 98% recyclable at the end of their lifespan.

Other innovations for easyJet 's new ‘neo’ aircraft range include improvements in design efficiency of around 13%, with the introduction of ‘sharklets’ on airplane wings expected to save 308 tonnes of fuel and 970 tonnes of CO² per aircraft. 

In addition, the new planes will feature lighter paint, air conditioning unit improvements, increased taxi management efficiency and new technology to communicate with air traffic control towers to help improve efficiency and reduce CO² output.