Electra Airways will begin the cabin retrofit program for its entire Airbus A320 fleet in Spring 2024.

The Bulgarian charter and ACMI airline plans to retrofit all eight of its current A320 aircraft. Cabin upgrade work will be overseen by technicians at ETG Maintenance, an MRO provider that is part of Electra’s Vector Group parent company. It performs base and line maintenance services from its main base in Varna.

The project, which includes the installation of new seats, will see the first two aircraft being retrofitted simultaneously. Electra plans to modify the remaining six aircraft during the second half of 2024, in time for the start of 2025, says Matvey Koloturskiy, deputy CEO of Tel Aviv-headquartered Vector Group.

Koloturskiy says the cabin retrofits will encompass any additional aircraft added to the airline's fleet in future. “Our plan is to increase the fleet to 15 aircraft within the next two and a half years,” he says, adding that these will all be A320 family aircraft.

The program will feature several manufacturing and supplier partners. These include UK-based Acro Aircraft Seating, which was recently contracted to supply economy-class seats for Electra Airways aircraft.

Swiss company Lantal will provide the upgraded fleet with carpets and curtains, Cobalt Aerospace will install the cabins LED lighting and cabin specialist ABC International will provide certification services as well as manufacturing branding panels, placards and antimacassars.

Meanwhile, Airbus Design Studio, set up by the airframe OEM in 2022, is overseeing design of the carrier’s cabin upgrades.  

Koloturskiy says that in addition to enhancing passenger comfort and aesthetics, Electra Airways' retrofit program has potential for environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives and sustainability.

“As part of the retrofit process, each A320 aircraft will become more than one ton lighter after all our changes,” he says. “This weight reduction is expected to have a substantial positive effect on fuel consumption and reduce the airline's environmental footprint, aligning with our commitment to a greener aviation industry and stronger ESG performance.”

Aside from Electra Airways and ETG Maintenance, the other companies under the Vector umbrella are Ireland-based leasing company Maverick Horizon and Classic Air, a charter and ACMI company based in Malta.