The aviation industry is facing a supply chain bottleneck, with a shortage of aircraft seats

The aviation industry is once again suffering from a supply chain bottleneck, in the form of a shortage of aircraft seats, which has contributed to a delay in the refurbishment of many airlines’ existing fleet of aircraft. 

Aircraft seats are experiencing a shortage due to a combination of factors including tighter certification rules and shortages of labour stemming from COVID-19, which are holding up production, according to the Financial Times. 

This delay has impacted airlines such as Lufthansa who have delayed a €2.5bn euro investment in their long-haul cabins. 

Boeing and Airbus have been on record as saying that the aircraft seat shortage has impacted the delay of many new aircraft too. Boeing has identified seats as a specific reason for constrained production of its 787 wide body plane. 

“Seat suppliers out there are in a shorter capacity. A lot of that is bought furnished, but nevertheless, it holds up an aeroplane”, Boeing Chief Executive, Dave Calhoun told analysts, as recorded in the FT. 

However, the issue of the aircraft shortage is slightly more complex than first imagined.  

Mark Hiller, Chief Executive of Recaro Aircraft Seating, the world’s largest economy seat maker, said the electronics shortages for embedded in-flight entertainment systems are hampering the deliveries of seats. 

Airlines order electronics and provide them to seat manufacturers for installation.