Questions arise over Aeromexico upholstery claims
24/01/2019
In a statement, a senior vice-president at Aeromexico, Antonio Fernández, said the partnership with ELeather will help the airline achieve its sustainability goals. He said: “Using ELeather on passenger seats significantly reduces the weight of each aircraft, helping to reduce overall emissions and decrease our carbon footprint.”
At the start of 2018, the Global Leather Coordinating Committee (GLCC), which brings together the three international leather organisations (the International Council of Tanners – ICT, the International Council of Hides, Skins and Leather Traders Associations – ICHSLTA, and the International Union of Leather Chemists and Technologists Societies – IULTCS), issued a statement on the use of this type of material in shoes.
In said it welcomed any process that makes use of shavings and trimmings from tanneries, but questioned some of the environmental claims that footwear brands and their suppliers have made about the material in comparison to leather. It also said that using the term ‘leather’ in the context of this reconstituted material can confuse consumers.
In the new statement from Aeromexico, the upholstery supplier said its material is 50% lighter and five times more durable than “normal leather”.
Pressed by leatherbiz on these claims, it did not specify the weight of the material it is supplying to the airline. Specialist tanners making aviation leather have suggested that the weight of the upholstery Aeromexico will use will, perhaps, weigh around 450 grammes per square-metre, at an educated guess. Pushed by their airline customers to make weight savings, these specialist tanners are now able to make aviation leather that weighs less than 25% more than this.
The claims about durability are even easier to challenge. Leatherbiz has learned that Aeromexico’s calculation is that it will be able to use this upholstery on the seats of its aircraft for “around six years” before replacing it. Far from making the mixed material product five times more durable, this comparison comes out clearly in leather’s favour.
In 2011, a discussion between executives of leather chemicals manufacturer Lanxess and Germany’s national air carrier, Lufthansa, revealed that leather upholstery on the airline’s seats can last for up to 30 years, while it has found itself having to replace synthetic upholstery on aircraft seats after only four years.
Image: Aeromexico
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