Aviation

Indigo will upgrade its future Airbus fleet with Recaro Economy seats.

The combination of the ergonomic design and weight of less than 10kg per pax has made the economy class seat
The low-cost carrier flies passengers to 74 domestic and 25 international destinations on its fleet of over 280+ aircraft

National, July 11, 2022: The Recaro Aircraft Seating (Recaro) BL3710 was selected to outfit IndiGo’s
brand-new A320neo and A321neo aircraft.

The low-cost airline will be the first to feature the bestselling economy class seat in the Indian sub-continent. The BL3710 economy class seat will be installed on 75 Airbus aircraft starting from January 2023.

Dr. Mark Hiller, CEO at Recaro Aircraft Seating said, “Our new partnership with IndiGo demonstrates
our commitment to not only building a distinct product with a sustainable lifecycle, but also our
comprehensive approach to customer service.

The BL3710 is an excellent product that will serve both IndiGo and its passengers for many years.”

A Red Dot Design Award winner and iF Design Award winner, the BL3710 was specifically created for short and medium-haul flights.

The combination of the ergonomic design and weight of less than 10kg per pax has made the economy class seat a bestseller since it first entered the market in 2019.

Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Chief Strategy & Revenue Officer of IndiGo said, “As we expand our network,
domestically and internationally to cater to the travel demand, the comfortable seats will be key to
upgrading the customer experience onboard IndiGo.”

Since its founding in 2006, IndiGo has grown into India’s largest passenger airline. Today, the low-cost carrier flies passengers to 74 domestic and 25 international destinations on its fleet of over 280+ aircraft.

Aviation

Aeroflot Buys Used Planes for Spare Parts Amid Sanctions

In the face of ongoing Western sanctions that have severely impacted Russia’s aviation industry, Aeroflot, the country’s largest airline, has devised a strategic plan to bolster its fleet’s spare parts inventory.

The airline is set to acquire five Boeing 737-800BCF freighters from Atran Airlines, a move that will allow it to dismantle the aircraft for critical components. The planes, which will be transferred to Aeroflot’s low-cost subsidiary Pobeda, will not be converted into passenger jets but instead will be stripped for valuable parts to support existing operations.

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Aeroflot’s plan to purchase these Boeing 737-800BCF freighters comes as part of a broader strategy to mitigate the effects of Western sanctions, which have crippled the Russian aviation sector. With the sanctions restricting access to essential aircraft parts and spare components, Aeroflot is exploring alternative ways to maintain and repair its fleet.

Instead of converting the freighters from cargo to passenger planes, a process deemed “unreasonably expensive” under current sanctions, the airline intends to focus on extracting high-value components such as engines, landing gear, avionics, and other essential systems.

The deal will be structured in a way that allows Aeroflot to indirectly purchase the freighters through an insurance settlement with the aircraft’s lessor, AerCap.

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The Russian government’s insurance company will reimburse the aircraft’s value, and the planes will then be leased back to local operators. This method circumvents some of the restrictions imposed by international sanctions while ensuring that the airline gains access to the necessary components to support its fleet.

By dismantling the aircraft for spare parts, Aeroflot aims to secure critical resources for the ongoing maintenance of its existing fleet. Components from the Boeing 737-800BCF freighters, such as engines and avionics, are expected to be reused in other aircraft within Aeroflot’s network, ensuring that the airline can keep its operations running smoothly