Embraer Moves Into Aircraft Seating

Embraer is joining the trend of OEMs that have become more involved in the design and manufacture of their aircraft seating. Earlier this year, Embraer completed its acquisition of Aero Seating Technologies (AST), a company headquartered in Irwindale, Calif., in a 35,000-sq-ft facility. The company was formed in 2007 and has since grown to 56 employees.

At the 2015 Paris Airshow, Embraer announced that the company, now called Embraer Aero Seating Technologies (EAST), would build a new $3.5 million EAST manufacturing facility in Titusville, Fla., not far from Embraer’s assembly, completion and engineering campus in Melbourne. The Titusville operation will create 150 additional EAST jobs over the next four years. The groundbreaking of the new 50,000-sq-ft facility, located in the Titusville Spaceport Commerce Park, took place on September 9. The facility is due for completion during the second half of 2016 and will begin operations immediately.

EAST develops and manufactures 16-g aviation seating products for a wide range of customers, including widebody, narrowbody and business and VVIP aircraft. EAST also designs, develops and manufactures seats for Embraer commercial and executive jets. EAST currently offers a wide range of 16-g and 9-g seats featuring vertical lift and full-flat berthing single seats and divans certified for aircraft such as the Embraer Lineage 1000, Bombardier XRS and CRJ-200, Boeing BBJ and Airbus ACJ. EAST’s next-generation family of VIP seats may include a fully electric seat with wireless controls for seat movements. Optional features may include power-assist controls, massage and even audio response massage, lumbar adjustment, heating elements and passive and active cooling. Furthermore, EAST is capable of accommodating any upholstery design based on customer specifications.

Francisco Soares, Embraer senior v-p supply chain and manufacturing, said, “EAST has the expertise to design, certify and manufacture aircraft seats and divans. However, that doesn’t mean that all Embraer aircraft seats will be switched to EAST seats.”

Soares said Embraer acquired the company because of its attention to craftsmanship. “EAST’s expertise has always focused on providing customers with the best-in-class seating products for the richest aircraft cabin experience, by integrating innovative design with meticulous craftsmanship, comfort and style,” he said, adding that there will undoubtedly be future collaboration between EAST and Embraer in Brazil and Melbourne. “EAST maintains its own engineering capabilities and capacity related to the models it produces. However, the EAST team is closely aligned with the product development team in Brazil as well as with the design team in Melbourne,” Soares said.

Embraer currently assembles and delivers the Phenom 100 and 300 light jets in Melbourne. It plans to begin assembly of the new Legacy 450 and 500 medium jets there in 2016.