VILNIUS, Lithuania, September 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
During the first half of the year the leisure carrier Small Planet Airlines earned EUR 64.3 million and improved its financial performance by a whopping 25.3%. Meanwhile, the company's profits doubled from EUR 2 to EUR 4 million. First and foremost, such positive results should delight the carrier's passengers, as Small Planet Airlines has announced its plans to invest added profits into increasing its passengers' comfort on-board. As soon as next year the carrier intends to spend EUR 6 million on renewing all of its aircraft, marking the largest investment into the fleet renewal in the entire company's history.
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Based on the new concept of the salon, Small Planet Airlines plans to renew all of its Airbus A320 aircraft until the launch of the new summer holiday season next year. Amongst the anticipated modifications - brand new Recaro seats, special LED lighting and an internal wireless network which will enable all airline passengers to use their mobile devices for extra entertainment on-board. The company is also set to introduce its new Economy Premium product line for those seeking added comfort. According to the CEO of Small Planet Airlines, Vytautas Kaikaris, the newly introduced improvements and aircraft modifications will surely bring extra comfort to the carrier's passengers, help the company stand out from its competition and positively affect the future development of the airline.
"2015 is the year of massive growth for our company. During the first half [of the year] alone we have supplemented our fleet by 7 aircraft, increased the number of flights by 30% and welcomed 300 new employees to our highly qualified and experienced team," comments V. Kaikaris. "And what is truly praiseworthy is the fact that our employees have managed to handle such an impressive growth and delivered an increased profit. In the first half of the year our profit margin grew from 3.9 to 6.2%," added the executive.
According to V. Kaikaris, the upcoming investment will go directly towards improving the passenger comfort. In fact, the company has already signed a contract with the German manufacturer Recaro and placed an order for as many as 3000 brand new seats. "A multiple award winner for its seat quality and design, Recaro is undoubtedly in the top 3 of the best aircraft seat manufacturers in the world. Therefore, we rest assured that the ergonomic properties of our new leather seats will be highly appreciated by our passengers. An added benefit is the increased private space, courtesy of the significantly slimmer seatbacks. These seats are extremely durable and almost twice as light as the existing ones - a lesser weight of seats translates into a lighter aircraft which, in turn, translates into reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions," shares V.Kaikaris.
Another noteworthy improvement to be introduced on Small Planet Airlines aircraft is the new LED lighting, which can be specifically adapted for distinct phases of a flight. Uniform light will produce no blinding effect, so passengers on-board should not experience eye tiredness for significantly longer periods of time.
Those looking for even more comfort will soon be able to opt for the Economy Premium product line. "We have observed that more and more passengers wish to receive that little bit more added attention and convenience. An increasing number of air travellers decide to pay a little bit more for extra legroom, smoother transition through the checkpoints or a pre-ordered hot lunch on-board. We are here to satisfy those demands and create that feeling of a holiday even prior to reaching its destination," says the CEO.
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