In a Department of Transportation (DOT) filing, avianca requested the Department to approve an “equivalent alternative determination (EAD)” related to the movable aisle armrest requirement in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), unveiling that it will fit new business class seats on its Boeing 787-8s starting in September 2026.
In a DOT filing on March 3, avianca said that it seeks the DOT’s EAD for its “business class seat designs for the Company’s current fleet” 787-8 aircraft, requesting confidential treatment for specific parts of the filing.
Still, the Colombian airline said that it “expects to retrofit its Boeing 787-8 aircraft, featuring a new business class suite seat design, with the first aircraft expected to begin the retrofit process in September 2026, with entry into service expected on or about December 1, 2026.”
The seat model, the manufacturer of the seat, and the cabin layout were kept confidential at the request of the carrier.
“[…] aircraft delivered after May 13, 2010, must have movable aisle armrests installed in at least half of the aisle seats in which persons with mobility impairments are permitted to sit, proportionately throughout the cabin.”
avianca said that the new business class seats “are constructed with an armrest that lowers to be flush with the seat cushion,” requesting the EAD to enable the aircraft to fly to the United States.
Planespotters.net shows that avianca currently has 16 787-8 aircraft in its fleet, all assigned to its Colombian air operator’s certificate (AOC). Three of them are stored in Colombia, including two at Bogotá El Dorado International Airport (BOG) and one at Medellín José María Córdova International Airport (MED).
Meanwhile, per Cirium’s Diio Mi, avianca’s US operations with the 787-8 are limited, with only one route scheduled so far in 2026, BOG to New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), operating daily at least between May 1 and August 31.
The Colombian airline will offer 291 seats per departure on the route, mirroring the number of seats it had scheduled on flights from BOG to JFK or Miami International Airport (MIA) in 2025. Its current 787-8s have 20 business class and 271 economy class seats.
avianca markets its current business class experience as ‘Insignia,’ with the seats themselves being the Safran Cirrus product.
When the Colombian carrier unveiled Insignia in April 2024, it said that passengers flying in the new business class “will be able to enjoy flatbed chairs, which recline completely, as well as a welcome drink, a menu with starter, breakfast, lunch, or dinner options with dessert, unlimited snacks, and a selection of spirits, hot and cold drinks.”
