B/E Aerospace to Launch Aspire Wide Body Main Cabin Seating with United Airlines; Airline Also Selects Meridian Single Aisle Main Cabin Seating For 737 MAX 9 Aircraft
WELLINGTON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 4, 2017-- B/E Aerospace, Inc. (NASDAQ: BEAV), the world’s leading manufacturer of aircraft cabin interior products, today announced that United Airlines is expanding the transformation of their customer experience with major investments in best-in-class economy seating innovation. B/E Aerospace is pleased to announce the selection of the latest B/E Aerospace economy class seating platforms – Aspire, selected for the 787-10 and A350, as well as 777-200 retrofits and Meridian, selected for the next generation 737 MAX 9.
“Our collaborative and customized work with United Airlines on these latest, new generation Economy products are being tailored for United by B/E Aerospace to incorporate industry leading seat amenities, maximized passenger living space, B/E’s proprietary comfort system and the latest United Airlines cabin brand initiatives,” says Werner Lieberherr, President and COO of B/E Aerospace.
The Aspire product line features more passenger living space with an increase in seat width over current generation seats. A key feature of the Aspire patented comfort system is an advanced kinematic mechanism that cradles the passenger during recline while preserving maximum living space for each passenger. Aspire also incorporates added under seat stowage and greater passenger living space due to the proprietary seat frame and leg structure. Passenger amenities combine the latest new generation Panasonic high definition monitor for In Flight Entertainment, a mid-level literature pocket combined with a full width single piece food tray, aft facing PC Power on all seat assemblies and ergonomic adjustable headrests.
Meridian, B/E Aerospace’s latest new generation passenger seating platform for narrow body aircraft, will launch on United’s 737 MAX 9 aircraft planned for delivery in 2018. Meridian is already an industry leader, with over 200,000 pax sold in its launch year, outselling Pinnacle™, the industry’s current number one narrow body platform, featuring more width for every passenger. This advancement in seat design provides “more room around you”™ which translates to more living space both side-to-side and forward and aft. Meridian is a fully featured class leading light weight seat. The weight savings over current generation seating supports the airline’s ability to add passenger enhancing comfort amenities. Meridian’s in-back tablet holder will accommodate personal devices and will include PC Power on all seat assemblies. Longer flight comfort is enhanced with B/E’s patented Crystal Flex™ bottom diaphragm technology – an industry-leading feature for maximized comfort on B/E’s seating products. Meridian’s full headrest tops off the seat’s comfort features.
Both seat products incorporate United’s latest brand themes and styling developed by PreistmanGoode and B/E Aerospace’s Design Group, and will be elegantly coordinated with United’s new cabin branding schemes.
“We selected B/E’s Aspire and Meridian cabin seating with our customers in mind,” said Mark Krolick, vice president of marketing at United. “Our customers tell us they want comfort and space and these seats will help us deliver on our commitment to create a pleasant flying experience.”
About United
United Airlines and United Express operate more than 4,500 flights a day to 339 airports across five continents. In 2016, United and United Express operated more than 1.6 million flights carrying more than 143 million customers. United is proud to have the world's most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates 737 mainline aircraft and the airline’s United Express partners operate 483 regional aircraft. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 192 countries via 28 member airlines. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol “UAL”.
About B/E Aerospace, Inc.
B/E Aerospace is the world’s leading manufacturer of aircraft cabin interior products. B/E Aerospace designs, develops and manufactures a broad range of products for both commercial aircraft and business jets. B/E Aerospacemanufactured products include aircraft cabin seating, lighting systems, oxygen systems, food and beverage preparation and storage equipment, galley systems, and modular lavatory systems. B/E Aerospace also provides cabin interior reconfiguration, program management and certification services. B/E Aerospacesells and supports its products through its own global direct sales and product support organization. For more information, visit the B/E Aerospace website at www.beaerospace.com.