LOT will pay over €200 million for new seats. For that amount, you could buy a modern plane.

• The Recaro factory in Świebodzin has produced a set of seats for the first of thirteen Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft that will join the LOT Polish Airlines fleet at the turn of the year. The same seat model will also be used in newly selected Airbus A220 aircraft.
• We had the opportunity to see how such seats are made. The Świebodzin plant requires two days to produce a complete set for a single aircraft.
• "We're gaining a contractor based in Poland who has immediate access to the spare parts we need. The Świebodzin plant also houses the entire team that manufactures our seats. This allows us to respond quickly to your needs," assures Michał Fijoł, CEO of LOT Polish Airlines.
• The modular design of Recaro seats simplifies servicing. According to information obtained from LOT Polish Airlines, as many as 15% of their aircraft delays due to technical issues are due to seat defects.

The first set of seats for the new Boeing 737 MAX 8 has been produced at the Recaro factory in Świebodzin. The 13 ordered machines of this type will be delivered to our carrier in the coming months.

The newly produced kit will be delivered to Boeing's US factory in Seattle aboard a ship . The logistics of such an operation are crucial, as delayed transport of the seats could result in the new MAX arriving in Poland with a delay of up to several months . The current plan is for the first MAX with Recaro seats to land in Poland in November.

The new Recaro R2 seats are lightweight and ergonomically more advanced. They also gain new features: each seat is equipped with a 60W individual power outlet for fast charging of electronic devices, and a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) holder for convenient use of a tablet or phone. Travel comfort is also enhanced by six-way adjustable headrests , extended armrests, contoured backrests with comfort foam, and lightweight, sliding tray tables.

The new seats undergo stringent overload and flammability tests .

The visual changes on board LOT MAX aircraft result from earlier decisions regarding similar changes in the design of wide-body Dreamliners flying in our carrier's fleet.

"Our passengers expect high-quality service from us. These seats already have features that truly place them among the better-equipped . These are, of course, details that are more appreciated by passengers who fly more frequently, but it is precisely this high level of comfort that we want to provide to all our travelers," explains Michał Fijoł, CEO of LOT Polish Airlines .

The large expense is expected to pay off for LOT – faster service and lower fuel consumption.

LOT has ordered 14,000 similar seats from Recaro. They will be gradually delivered to all of the airline's aircraft, including the recently ordered regional Airbus A220s . It's worth emphasizing that it's generally accepted practice for airlines worldwide to purchase new aircraft without passenger seats .

"LOT is a Polish carrier, and we have long promoted products manufactured in Poland. This is one side of the coin. The other is very practical – we gain a contractor based in Poland who has immediate access to the spare parts we need . The Świebodzin plant also houses an entire team that produces our seats. This allows us to respond quickly, for example, to the demand for spare parts, which will undoubtedly arise over time. This aligns with the principles of nearshoring , which are so important in our business," emphasizes the LOT CEO.

The modular design of Recaro seats simplifies servicing. According to information obtained from LOT Polish Airlines, as many as 15% of their aircraft delays due to technical issues are due to seat defects .

When shopping at Recacro for LOT, their weight is also important.

"In aviation, we're constantly battling the weight of aircraft – we strive to make everything we carry as light as possible. For example, we have porcelain sets in our planes that are ultra-thin. Weight was one of the factors we considered when selecting them. This is also reflected in the seats. One new seat, while maintaining a high level of comfort, weighs just under 10 kg. As a result , an aircraft equipped with such seats burns less fuel ," explains Michał Fijoł.

LOT's seat order worth as much as one Dreamliner

The factory in Świebodzin belongs to one of the leading manufacturers of aircraft seats – the German company Recaro.

At this Greater Poland plant, they have four production lines, with 27 stations where individual components are assembled. During our visit, exclusive versions of seats for Qatar Airways and Air France were rolling off the line.

Workers in Świebodzin need two days' wages to produce and assemble seats for one medium-sized aircraft .

We asked Recaro's CEO about the cost of replacing seats on LOT planes . Mark Hiller gave us an estimate.

"I think the total cost of replacing the seats could be around five million euros . It's important to remember that the plane costs over one hundred million euros, but what really sets it apart from other aircraft from a passenger's perspective is the seats," emphasizes Mark Hiller, CEO of Recaro Holding and Recaro Aircraft Seating.

After taking into account the 14,000 seats ordered by LOT and some rough calculations, the Polish company has ordered Recaro seats for over 50 of its aircraft. The estimated cost is well over €200 million … roughly the same as the price of a new Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Most of the seats ordered by LOT will be manufactured in Poland. The R2 and R3 models are manufactured exclusively at Recaro's Polish plants.

LOT also ordered top-shelf seats from this manufacturer.

" Business class is the hallmark of every airline . At LOT, passengers will have a private, closed cabin with large monitors. This positioning puts this product among the best airlines," argues the CEO of LOT Polish Airlines.

However, these will be delivered to the national carrier's fleet from a foreign factory.

- Seats for premium economy and business classes are made in Germany , because currently our entire production capacity for the business segment is located in Germany - explains CEO Mark Hiller.