RECARO Aircraft Seating has confirmed that it began delivering its new Premium Economy seat, R4, to an unnamed customer in June 2026. Entry into service is expected before the end of 2026.
The R4 concept was first unveiled at the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2023 in Hamburg and publicly showcased at the 2025 edition of the same industry show, where All Nippon Airways (ANA) announced it had selected it to equip its Premium Economy cabin (RECARO’s announcement didn’t clarify whether the Japanese carrier was the launch customer).
The German seat maker is marketing this new generation seat as the successor to its PL3530 model, which was launched in 2015 and has found favor among several major international airlines introducing Premium Economy products.
The PL3530 is in use with Emirates, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Starlux Airlines, among others, and has also been selected by LATAM Airlines for its upcoming Premium Economy cabin.
RECARO’s new R4 builds upon this legacy but also boasts some improvements over the previous generation of seats in terms of ergonomics and passenger comfort.
The new seat is fitted with RECARO’s signature six-way adjustable headrest with integrated neck support, side ambient lighting and privacy wings with integrated reading light and a side console for dedicated access for PRM (Passengers with Reduced Mobility) and a new extra-wide tray table with a soft open/close mechanism.
When it comes to inflight entertainment features, the R4 comes with a 16-inch monitor, an integrated holder for smartphones and tablets, and can support several options to power the passengers’ personal electronic devices (PED).
So far, the R4 is ETSO-certified (European Technical Standard Order certified) for the Boeing 787 while RECARO is working on obtaining additional certifications.