New plane cabin design to revolutionise air travel by giving unpopular middle seat more room and arm rests
A NEW aeroplane cabin design could have solved the problem of the middle seat, making it three inches wider.
America’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved a staggered seating system dubbed the “S1” after it was in development for five years.
“I have watched this several times – airline executives see the seat, nod their head and then say they get it.
“Then we ask them to actually sit down, next to a big fella. Within a few seconds they [really] get it – they stop being an airline executive and switch into passenger modes.”
He added: “Once a passenger comes to the seat, it can be easily pulled out, locks itself into place and is ready to be sit upon.
“It can even slide with the passenger sitting on it.
“Obviously, the aisle at that point returns to its normal width (if both seats are moved), but until the very last passenger has boarded, there is still the benefit of the wider aisle.”
Initially the new seating will only serve short- to medium haul flights and anyone flying on a British airline will have to wait until it is approved in the UK.
But an S2 version, designed for long-haul cabins is under development.
Although not finalised this design comes with more padding, a recline function and an entertainment screen measuring 15.6inches, the biggest in the business.
The design is in stark contrast to the “stand up” plane seat known as the Skyrider 3.0 which was debuted at the Paris Air Show in June this year.
The latest version of the seat has a bike-style saddle that sits higher than a traditional airline seat.
The Skyrider 3.0, designed by Aviointeriors, takes up much less space than the average economy seat — just 23 inches compared to 31 inches on most other airlines.
The idea is that airlines could cram in more of these seats and still allow other passengers to book other kinds of tickets on the same flight.
The company hopes to increase passenger numbers by 20%, however standing seats have not been approved by aviation authorities just yet.
It is unclear whether the seat would meet government safety standards for emergencies.
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