Summary:
- Iberia and RECARO trial sustainable aircraft seating on A320neo, advancing eco-friendly cabin innovation.
- Upcycled materials, including fishing nets and real wood elements, support circular design in aircraft interiors.
- Six-month in-service trial highlights focus on balancing passenger comfort, premium design and sustainability.
Iberia – a member of International Airlines Group (a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub) – is partnering with RECARO on an innovative trial. Set to launch in one of the Iberia A320neo cabins this spring, passengers may recognise more sustainable seating features in the hybrid cabin equipped with R1 and R2 Economy Class seating.
186 seats will be installed in a selected A320neo cabin for a trial period of at least six months, with Iberia as the first RECARO customer that collaborates on these more sustainable seating features. The partnership underlines both companies’ commitment to combine comfort and premium design with a focus on more sustainable aircraft interiors.
Through a step-by-step process, RECARO developed seating mock-ups, gained qualifications, and finally achieved material certification allowing for the implementation of these materials in the cabin. Both the R1 and R2 Economy Class seating with Iberia will feature upcycled fish net literature pockets and a real wood inlay. The literature pocket is made from discarded fishing nets that were previously littering the sea. One single-aisle aircraft shipset, such as the A320, removes approximately 2kg of discarded fishing net material from our oceans. The seats also incorporate a real wood-based element integrated into the seat’s bumper, using a natural material as part of its design and material concept.
“With these seats, we were able to combine innovation with ingenious design and sustainability,” said Dr Mark Hiller, CEO of RECARO Aircraft Seating and RECARO Holding. “We are very proud of this step in bringing more sustainable seating options to the cabin and partnering with Iberia as our trial customer. This collaboration is a genuine testament to our shared aspiration for a more sustainable future in aviation.”
These innovations are a relevant first step toward the future of more sustainable seating solutions in the aviation industry. Furthermore, through research and development, RECARO is continuing to develop new sustainable and certified materials and technologies.
Hear more from International Airlines Group at the co-located APEX FTE EMEA and APEX FTE Ancillary & Retailing events, taking place in Dublin on 9-11 June 2026. Keith Walters, Group Transformation Lead, International Airlines Group, is participating in the ‘FTE Data Sharing Think Tank Live: Breaking the data sharing deadlock: How airlines, airports and their partners can finally achieve meaningful data collaboration’.
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