ITA Airways has signed a cabin retrofit agreement with Airbus Services to upgrade its six A350s-900s which will include the introduction of a premium economy section. Completion of the project and re-delivery of the six upgraded aircraft is expected in mid-2024.

Airbus will the kits required for the complete cabin and technical support during work. The OEM will also provide on-site expertise and support throughout the project.

Alessio Leone, Head of Camo Operations at ITA Airways says: “We have selected Airbus Services thanks to its OEM expertise, expert engineering know-how, project management, and supply chain management”.

The installation of the new premium economy class will involve replacing a section of ‘3-3-3’ nine-abreast economy class seats, with ‘2-4-2’ eight-abreast seats. The seating class is being increasingly sought-after thanks to its yield management benefits for airlines, while reducing costs for business travellers.

As well installing the new seats, the scope of the upgrade will involve the related installation of one additional galley, class partitions and cabling for in-seat-power and IFE. Other upgrades include new lighting zoning and better overhead stowage. In addition, the passenger service units will be reconfigured, including oxygen, reading lights and ventilation. Airbus will also perform the necessary engineering load calculations for the new layout as well as updating the aircraft’s technical manuals.