Southwest Airlines has introduced a new cabin design expected to improve fleet efficiency and lower environmental impact.
Southwest says the cabin update, dubbed Evolve: The New Southwest Interior, utilizes durable and environmentally responsible products to reduce waste and create weight savings onboard the aircraft.
The cabin refresh features recyclable carpet (by InterfaceFLOR) and a more durable, low-profile seat that weighs less than the current seat. Numerous plastic within the cabin also have been replaced with more durable, recyclable aluminum. The improved durability of the redesigned seat coupled with fuel savings from 635 pounds less weight per aircraft is expected to result in more than $10 million in ongoing annual cost savings.
Southwest says the new design also provides greater revenue potential by increasing the number of seats onboard from 137 to 143, while increasing under-seat room for carryon luggage and maintaining personal space for customers.
In 2009, Southwest launched the "Green Plane" to test more sustainable products onboard an aircraft. Based on the inflight test results and customer feedback, Southwest's new Evolve interior features the E-Leather seat cover – a lightweight, and scuff resistant alternative to traditional leather – and many of the other products tested on the Green Plane including the carpet, life vest pouch, foam fill, and passenger seat rub strips.
Southwest will begin retrofitting its current fleet of 372 Boeing -700s with the Evolve interior in March 2012, anticipating completion in 2013, for a total estimated cost of approximately $60 million. As integration of AirTran Airways, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southwest, moves forward, Southwest anticipates that AirTran's Boeing -700s and 717s will also be retrofitted with the new cabin interior as those aircraft are converted into the Southwest brand over the next several years. Other Southwest fleet types are still being evaluated for a possible retrofit.
Bart King is a PR consultant and principal at Cleantech Communications.
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Bart King is the founder and principal at New Growth Communications. He specializes in helping sustainability leaders develop thought leadership content and strategy
Published Jan 18, 2012 3pm EST / 12pm PST / 8pm GMT / 9pm CET