CABIN FEVER
Plane seats of the future – with no tray tables, TV screens or seat pockets and full screen dividers between each row
NEW plane cabin designs with full divider screens, staggered seats and the removal of in-flight entertainment systems could be here in the next few years.
Created by British design firm , the new "Pure Skies" designs reinvent both economy and business class seating.
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The innovative designs hope to also increase hygiene and safety, as well as modernise the flying experience.
Seats will use "photochromic and thermochromic inks" which will work with new cleaning methods such as UVC - which studies have shown can kill coronavirus - and heat cleaning.
Economy class is renamed as Pure Skies Zones while business class is called Pure Skies Rooms.
In "Pure Skies Zones", new divider screens at full height separate each row from each other.
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Some of the seats are also staggered to offer more room to passengers.
You can forget about in-flight entertainment TVs - instead, new systems will allow you to hook up your phone so you can watch through your devices, something many airlines are already doing.
You will still be able to rent devices if you want to binge a series during the flight.
Also on the back of the seat will be wireless charging and an integrated backlit safety card.
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The tray table - which is often cited as one of the dirtiest parts of the plane - will instead be clipped on, which are handed out by the trolley.
The seats themselves are redesigned to feature shiner surfaces instead of the traditional matte, making them much easier to clean, while the reclining function will be redeveloped to stop dirt and food getting stuck in the gaps.
The seat pockets, which are known for harbouring rubbish and germs, have been removed and replaced with detachable bags or the option of clipping your own bag in.
In the "Pure Skies Rooms", also known as business class, each seat has curtains to make the seating more private as well as a wardrobe and personal overhead locker.
Business class passengers still get a TV - with a huge entertainment screen synced to your device.
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While the new seats may look realistic, the company claims it could take just three years to build and certify some of the new systems.
They added: "New built-in design features, the latest technology and material innovation all help to reduce passenger anxiety, improve personal space and hygiene, and facilitate touch-free journeys."
The new designs hope to future-proof the travel industry for any other health disasters.
“We’ve looked ahead to imagine future scenarios and taken into account new passenger behaviours driven by the global pandemic to ensure our designs can be implemented within a few years and will meet user and airline requirements for many years ahead," added director Nigel Goode.
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The new designs would see hygiene screens fitted in each seat, as well as new middle seats which would face backwards while flying.
We've rounded up some of the other futuristic plane cabin designs which include beds in economy, zero waste meal trays and self-cleaning toilets.
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