FORT WORTH — Recaro Aircraft Seating, which has enjoyed an impressive trajectory in commercial aviation — and now holds a 30-35% market share for economy class seats — is “the best” when you look at the seat’s lifecycle. So said aviation legend and aircraft leasing giant Steven Udvar-Hazy during a keynote speech to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Recaro Aircraft Seating Americas’ facility in Fort Worth, Texas.
“The airline industry has tripled in size in the last 25 years which means the requirement for aircraft seating has also tripled. And to accommodate that, we need companies like Recaro in Texas to design, develop, to manufacture and deliver the finest seats in the airline industry. So I extend my gratitude to all of you for having achieved that remarkable success and respect in the airline industry,” the Hungarian-American businessman told Recaro customers, business partners, company leadership, VIPs and members of the media who gathered on 13 December to mark Recaro Aircraft Seating Americas’ milestone in Fort Worth.
“At the end of the day, it’s the airline passengers that appreciate the product,” he added. And in 2023 alone, well north of a billion passengers will have sat in Recaro seats.
A pioneer of the aircraft leasing industry, Udvar-Hazy is renowned for his influence and candid comments. In 1973, he was among the founders of International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), which became one of the biggest names in aircraft leasing. In 2010, he founded Air Lease Corporation, for which he serves as executive chairman. Through these two companies, Udvar-Hazy has acquired more than 3,000 commercial jets, he said.
“I added up the number of aircraft seats that we purchased, seat bottoms that we purchased and it is 517,000 seat bottoms since 1973. And more and more of those are coming from Recaro in both the US and in Germany,” he observed.
Asked by Runway Girl Network why Recaro seats are landing on more and more aircraft, Udvar-Hazy noted that, as a lessor of Airbus and Boeing aircraft, Air Lease Corporation gets a lot of feedback from its airline customers.
“Normally you would think airlines would be looking for the best engineered product for the lowest price. But I think more importantly they look at their customer feedback. They look at reliability. They look at durability. They look at the attractiveness of the product. And when you combine all of those requirements, Recaro is not the cheapest. But if you look at the lifecycle of the seat, Recaro is the best.”
Udvar-Hazy served as keynote speaker at Recaro Aircraft Seating Americas’ 25th Anniversary celebration.
Udvar-Hazy added that his colleagues at Los Angeles-based Air Lease Corporation are involved in buying seats from a lot of different manufacturers. “And every year, when we do a review of our buyer furnished equipment — a quality index of our suppliers — Recaro is always at the very top.”
It’s a significant endorsement from the legendary businessman, whose firm leases aircraft to airlines around the world, including Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 twinjets — aircraft types on which Recaro lays claim to a roughly 50% market share for economy class seats.
For 25 years, Recaro Aircraft Seating Americas has been part of the growth story of Schwaebisch Hall, Germany-headquartered Recaro Aircraft Seating — which also has facilities in China and Poland — and indeed of the wider Recaro Group.
Established in 1998, the Fort Worth site has grown from 30 employees with two production lines to nearly 500 professionals and six running production lines. This month it will achieve a production milestone, building more than 423,000 passenger seats for customers since opening its doors 25 years ago.
The Americas facility plans to deliver 40,000 Pax units in 2024, and indeed is aiming for 10% year-over-year growth through 2026.
“As we celebrate 25 years of Recaro Aircraft Seating Americas, we reflect with pride on the legacy of innovation, dedication, and excellence that has defined our journey,” said Dr. Mark Hiller, CEO of Recaro Aircraft Seating and Recaro Holding. “I want to extend thanks to our dedicated team, partners, and loyal customers who played a pivotal role in our success.”
Dr. Mark Hiller thanked the Fort Worth team as well as Recaro’s partners and customers.
Sunitha Vegerla, General Manager at RECARO Aircraft Seating Americas, added: “Since 1998, we have stayed at the forefront of shaping the aviation seating industry, consistently delivering comfort and support to our customers.
“This milestone not only commemorates our past achievements but also propels us forward, and we look forward to many more years of elevating the passenger journey through our exceptional seating solutions.”
Addressing Recaro leadership and employees in Fort Worth, Udvar-Hazy noted: “Today the world’s airline jet fleet is about 26,000. It’s projected to grow over the next 10 years to 40,000 airplanes. So there’s a tremendous path and opportunity for all of you to participate and enjoy the success of that growth.”
The celebratory event at Recaro Aircraft Seating Americas took place on 13 December in Fort Worth, where VIPs, customers, business partners, company leadership and media gathered to mark the milestone. Recaro CEO Dr. Mark Hiller and Recaro Aircraft Seating Americas General Manager Sunitha Vegerla are among those pictured: Recaro Aircraft Seating
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Featured image of Recaro Aircraft Seating’s popular CL3710 seat, as seen on board ITA Airways’ A350, credited to John Walton
