Emirates and Safran sign deal for aircraft seat plant in Dubai

DUBAI (Reuters) -Emirates airline and French aerospace group Safran have signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a manufacturing and seat assembly plant in Dubai, Safran said on Tuesday.

The plant will serve Dubai-based Emirates and other Safran customers amid growing demand for aircraft.

It will concentrate on business and economy class seats for cabin refurbishment projects, with plans to expand into new aircraft in the future.

Safran aims to complete the plant by the fourth quarter of 2027, with initial plans to assemble up to 1,000 business class seats per year.

Boosting seat production is at the centre of efforts to clear a logjam that has contributed to billions of dollars of aircraft delays for industry giants Airbus and Boeing, and higher fares for passengers.

The new plant could mean Emirates taking deliveries of aircraft without seats and then flying them to Dubai to install seats at the new facility, something that would normally be done at Airbus or Boeing factories before planes are delivered.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher. Writing by Ahmed Elimam. Editing by Mark Potter)