EADS Sogerma and Lufthansa Technik cooperate to make first class even better

EADS Sogerma and Lufthansa Technik AG have agreed on a multi-year cooperation in the area of premium first-class interiors. EADS Sogerma will offer the “aerosleeper” – Lufthansa Technik’s concept for an optional Premium class bed assembly – as an integrated superior variant of its “Super First-Class Seat Ultimate 17®”. The combined premium first-class product will be marketed under the name “Ultimate Sleeper”.

In the “aerosleeper”, Lufthansa Technik’s business unit Innovation has found a solution to the age-old comfort problem of passenger seats. Previous concepts always required a compromise between optimal seating comfort and sleeping comfort: in the reclined position, even the highest-quality first-class seats always developed a few hollows and bumps that kept the passenger from sleeping comfortably. The sophisticated design concept of the “aerosleeper” solves this problem by incorporating, alongside the actual seat, a genuine bed that can be folded out over the fully reclined seat as and when required.

As Marc Gentil, EADS Sogerma Vice President Sales & Marketing, explained: “As a seat vendor we need to be as close as possible to the airlines needs and expectations; working with Lufthansa Technik give EADS Sogerma this advantage.”

Andrew Muirhead, Director of Lufthansa Technik’s business unit Innovation added: “The very best ideas are without value if they can’t be implemented in practice. With EADS Sogerma, we’ve found the right partner for realizing the aerosleeper concept. I’m convinced that our joint product will be very successful in the market and will give the airlines a unique value proposition towards their end customer.”

Harald Merensky, project manager at Lufthansa Technik’s business unit Innovation and the inventor of the aerosleeper, said about the new concept: “What’s unique about this product is that it offers passengers a two-fold improvement in comfort in almost the same amount of space as before: they can sit comfortably on well-engineered seats, and lie comfortably on beds designed for the purpose.”

EADS Sogerma will be responsible for transferring the concept to production and plans to offer its customers the new model from mid-2009. Lufthansa Technik is supplying the technical expertise and will also continue to develop the concept.

EADS Sogerma (2213 employees) is a fully-owned subsidiary of the EADS Group (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company) – world leader in aeronautics, defence, space, and related services. With more than 80 years of experience in the aeronautical industry, EADS Sogerma is now organised around 3 activities : design and manufacturing of First Class, Business Class seats for commercial airlines & VIP aircraft ; design and manufacturing of cockpit seats for aircraft and helicopters ; design, manufacturing and assembly of structural parts for Airbus, ATR, Dassault and Boeing.

The Lufthansa Technik Group, with more than 30 subsidiaries and about 26,000 employees worldwide, is one of the leading manufacturer-independent providers of services for the aviation industry. In 2008, the Group’s overall revenues stood at 3.7 billion euros and over 1,700 aircraft from more than 660 customers were served. Lufthansa Technik is licensed internationally as a repair, production and development enterprise. The Group’s portfolio encompasses the entire spectrum of services in the areas of maintenance, repair, overhaul, modification and conversion, engines and components.

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