Aircraft Interiors Expo: Light Weight Cabin Products to Enhance Passenger Comfort but Save on Fuel Costs

HAMBURG, Germany, March 16, 2011 - Faced with currently hefty fuel costs, airlines are seeking lighter
products for their cabin interiors - but ones that also make the passenger
experience as comfortable as possible. Next month a whole range of these
innovative products will be on display during Aircraft Interiors Expo in
Hamburg.

Here airline seat specialist Recaro will be unveiling one of its lightest
economy class seat products yet. The company says it has significantly
reduced the weight of each BL3520 seat unit to less than 11kg, making it
about 30 per cent lighter than previous models. The seat creates more living
space for passengers as the literature rack is positioned above the tray
table instead of in the knee area, giving the potential for more legroom.

Italian seat manufacturer Aviointeriors will be launching its UltraLight
Plus economy seating system for short haul flights. The system is made from a
mixture of aluminium and composite panels allowing for increased passenger
comfort and a larger living space for passengers even at 28" pitch.

Responding to requests for 'softer' surfaces around passengers during
flights - particularly next to flat beds in first and business class, MGR
Foamtex will be displaying a new, patented, soft trim panel. Cathay Pacific's
new business class product, which starts being installed across the airline's
long-haul A330-300 and Boeing 777-300ER fleets this month, uses MGR SoftWall
to line the headboard and also to cover the bed extension. The product uses
high performance foam that is three times lighter than silicone-based
alternatives.

A recent trend has also seen seat designers linking up with inflight
entertainment providers to jointly create products that are integrated and
more lightweight. Intelligent Avionics will be launching its production
ready, seat-integrated AURA system, displayed in an economy class
configuration. The company says this integrated, multi-touch, gesture
controlled entertainment and communication system is more than one tonne
lighter than other comparable audio-video on demand (AVOD) systems.

Meanwhile French IFE supplier Vision Systems' will be promoting its new
VisiTouch system. Integrated into a seatback, this AVOD system claims to be
easy to install and maintain thanks to the design of the plate which fixes it
on the seat.

Aircraft Interiors Expo takes place from 5-7 April at the Hamburg Messe
in Germany. Register for your media badge at
www.aircraftinteriorsexpo.com/mediareg. For high resolution pictures
contact victoria.bailey@cmsstrategic.com

Contact: Victoria Bailey on +44(0)208-748-9797

For high resolution pictures contact victoria.bailey at cmsstrategic.com. Contact: Victoria Bailey on +44(0)208-748-9797