Safran secured a (not really) billion dollar commitment from Emirates to fit the carrier’s fleet over the decade ahead. The deal, announced at the 2023 Dubai Air Show, covers seats, galleys, satellite internet hardware, and more.
Safran is a key partner for Emirates and we’re working closely to reimagine and elevate our future cabins with smart design and the latest technologies. These have been decisive factors in our selection of seat types which will be customized for Emirates.
– Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline
Of note, the companies announced the deal as a $1.2 billion contract, but that is list price. There’s no way Emirates is paying list price given the scope of the contract.
Similar to Thales‘ release yesterday about the selection of its AVANT Up platform for entertainment on the next generation of Emirates’ planes, the announcement appears to be reconfirming several previously known deals, while maybe adding bits in around the edges. It is significant, but many components of this deal have been previously reported.
Three cabins of seating
Under the deal, Safran will provide Business, Premium Economy, and Economy class seats for both the Emirates Airbus A350 and Boeing 777X-9. Safran is the incumbent provider of economy and premium economy seats for the Emirates fleet.
That said, the release describes the offerings as “new seats” and offers platitudes around comfort, privacy and convenience. It also mentions “a bolder roster of luxurious features, stylish interior finishes and next level-technology in every cabin class,” implying that the planes will see seating improvements from nose to tail.
Given how new the premium economy product is, it remains unclear just what might change there. And there’s not a ton of room to work with improvements in the economy class cabin. Expect to see most of the innovation in business class.
The new aircraft will also feature Safran’s GEMini galleys, with the high-end NUVO line of inserts.
Ka-band connectivity confirmed
The Safran Passenger Innovations group also (re)confirms it will install its RAVE AeroConnect Ka hardware on 160 Emirates aircraft for inflight internet service. That includes 50 A350s, 50 777-9, and 60 A380s. Safran highlights the solution as “allowing connectivity across multiple providers and frequencies” which is an interesting turn of phrase given what is known about the terminal and prior plans announced by Emirates.
Safran’s Ka-band solution includes ThinKom‘s ThinAir Ka2517 terminal, which does support multiple providers and multi-orbit constellations. But SPI claiming connectivity across multi frequencies is slightly bizarre, given that it is a Ka-band terminal.
Moreover, Emirates announced earlier this year it would use those SPI terminals to connect is A350 fleet to Viasat’s Ka-band constellation (Inmarsat GX at the time). That announcement followed a similar, albeit now very outdated, announcement selecting “Viasat London” for the initial tranche of 777X planes.
The original 777X GX deal included Honeywell‘s JetWave terminal. At the time it held exclusive terminal rights to the GX Aviation network. SPI displacing it with the ThinAir Ka2517 is significant, but still not likely a shift in service provider. Mostly because there aren’t other global Ka-band constellations that can deliver today.
Perhaps in a few years a Ka-band LEO constellation will be viable and Emirates will have the opportunity to shift its connection without replacing the hardware on board. But for now the Viasat/Inmarsat solution is the option for global airlines, especially those who operate polar routes.
Brakes, services and more!
The deal also covers brakes and wheels on the A350s, as well as nose gear overhaul for the A380 fleet. Plus, Safran Aerosystems will cover repair and maintenance for Boeing 777 safety and cabin systems components over a 10-year contract.
More news from the 2023 Dubai Air Show
- Emirates boosts long-haul fleet with mega order
- flydubai spreads its wings with 787 order
- AirBaltic to double A220 fleet
- Safran snags massive contract for Emirates fleet fittings
- Ethiopian targets major growth with Boeing, Airbus orders in Dubai
- Airbus hits 125 aircraft commitment milestone for HBCplus Ka-band connectivity
- Egyptair taps Panasonic Avionics for IFE/C on new A350 fleet
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