Norwegian Air Adds Space-Saving Seats
Joe Cortez June 28, 2018
Norwegian Air flyers aboard the Boeing 737-MAX will soon get more legroom without being forced to pay for it. The airline will refit cabins with the RECARO 3710C slimline seat, adding a little more legroom for passengers while trimming over 400 pounds from the next-generation airframes.
It’s unusual for an ultra-low-cost carrier to add amenities to aircraft without passing costs onto their flyers. But Norwegian Air is planning to add a little more legroom for flyers on trans-Atlantic Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
Norwegian announced the RECARO 3710C slimline seat will come to all next-generation airframes. The new seat brings the standard seat pitch to 30 inches across the cabin. The new seats will debut on the 12 737 MAX airframes delivered this year, with plans to introduce it on all future deliveries of the next-generation narrow-body. The modern aircraft will replace Norwegian’s fleet of 737-800 aircraft currently flying select trans-Atlantic routes.
Adding legroom is not the only motivating factor for moving to the RECARO slimline option. The seats are approximately 2.2 pounds lighter than previous options, shedding over 400 pounds from future aircraft. According to the airline, reducing nearly one-quarter ton from their weight lets them use less fuel, which translates to low fares for passengers and sustainable airline practices.
“The Boeing 737 MAX’s versatility can provide passengers with lower fares on direct transatlantic routes and shorter flights as we plan to replace older aircraft as we maintain a young, modern and fuel-efficient fleet,” Thomas Ramdahl, Chief Commercial Officer at Norwegian, said in the press release. “Now thousands more passengers can fly in slimmer seats that provide more space for the longer flights.”
The airline currently operates the 737 MAX aircraft on trans-Atlantic routes from New York Stewart International Airport (SWF) and Providence T.F. Green Airport (PVD). The win for passengers could be short-lived, as Congress is considering legislation that could stop “flag of convenience” carriers.
[Photo: Shutterstock]
How do slimmer seats give you MORE legroom, and 30' between seats is nothing to brag about
How these cheap and unpleasant slimline seats can be heralded as an "amenity" for the passengers is beyond me. They may under optimal conditions provide a tad more knee freedom but definitely won't provide more legroom.
once again, talk of seat pitch, which is totally misleading. Compared to another aircraft with 30 inch seat pitch, but not using these new lightweight slimline seats, there is more legroom !!!! Seat pitch IS NEVER EVER a measure of legroom without reference to type of seat & thickness of seat backs.