A while back, we posted a piece about public transportation seats and why their upholstery is so ugly. I remember thinking the pyschology behind that was pretty smart. Of course, airline seats are just as filthy and disgusting as seats on buses and trains. It was part of the whole warning that flight attendant gave a couple of years ago.
Most airlines, of course, don’t use those garish colors for their seats (here’s why). And their seats are at least (kinda sorta) cleaned on a (semi) regular basis. But with all the wear and tear they get, airline seats do eventually wear out. The upholstery gets tears or stains that don’t come out, the mechanics stop working, etc.
Replacing the seats with brand new ones would be expensive – about $5000 per seat in economy. Higher end seats, with a more complicated set up, such as with in-flight entertainment screen, power outlets, recline mechanisms, etc., cost even more. And first class suites can go for upwards of $100,000 to replace. It’d also be wasteful to throw out all the parts of the seats that still work when it’s only certain aspects that need to be refurbished. So companies like Latitude Aero, a refurbishment company in Greensboro, North Carolina, make it their business model to give plane seats a second (or third? Or more?) life.
Latitude Aero has been around since 2015. They specialize in:
Turnkey Seat Refurbishment
Complete overhaul of First Class, Business, Premium Economy, and Economy seating; Strip down and recycling of existing materials, and warehousing of seats; Installation of dress covers, plastics, cushions, trim, and finish modifications.
Seat Repair & Deep Cleaning
OEM warranty repair; Mold, mildew, and corrosion remediation; Disassembly, deep cleaning, repair, and replacement of structural components.
IFE & In-Seat Power Upgrades
Post-delivery modifications and upgrades of IFE & ISPS Systems; Installation of electrical harnesses and new wiring.
Contract Maintenance
On-wing or off-wing scheduled preventative maintenance program; Build outs for airline in-house seating back shops.
What else…
They’re also able to work with airlines and other companies for seating redesign & custom manufacturing, as well as aftermarket parts manufacturing. Latitude Aero is both FAA and EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency – the Euro equivalent of the FAA) certified.
Latitude Aero’s customers include large commercial U.S. airlines such as United, Alaska and Delta, as well as smaller operations such as Air Wisconsin. To date, they’ve delivered 100% of their product on time, with 100% quality acceptance. That’s with having worked on over 87,000 seats from over 30 countries around the world.
Here’s what they do, in action:
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