Standing up on planes moves a step closer to reality thanks to Aviointeriors’ Skyrider seat

Standing up on planes moves a step closer to reality: Manufacturer hones its design of an upright seat passengers have to stand to use

  • An Italian seat manufacturer has unveiled a new prototype for a seat that passengers have to stand up to use 
  • The design will enable carriers to fit 20 per cent more people into a cabin, as legroom will drop to 23 inches 
  • An earlier prototype was fixed to the ceiling with a pole. This has been removed and a coat hook added 

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Stand-up seats on planes could be a step closer to reality.

That’s because an Italian seat manufacturer has honed the design of a new type of seating that’s so upright, passengers have to stand up to use it, more or less.

Last year, MailOnline Travel reported on Aviointeriors’ second version of the Skyrider seat – but this week at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, it unveiled another improved prototype.

Italian seat manufacturer Aviointeriors has honed the design of its stand up seat and has now presented the Skyrider 3.0 – an improved prototype 

The new design, called the Skyrider 3.0, is very similar to the previous incarnations of the seat.

However, one major difference is that it does not have a pole in between the seats to connect them to the floor and ceiling, as the previous version did.

A more subtle tweak to the prototype is the introduction of a coat hook.   

As with the Skyrider 2.0, Aviointeriors claims that its design will enable carriers to fit 20 per cent more people into a cabin, as legroom will be diminished from around 28 inches to 23.

One major difference from the Skyrider 2.0 is that it does not have a pole in between the seats to connect them to the floor and ceiling

One major difference from the Skyrider 2.0 is that it does not have a pole in between the seats to connect them to the floor and ceiling

One subtle tweak to the design of the Skyrider 2.0 is using a different weave of fabric to make the seat

One subtle tweak to the design of the Skyrider 2.0 is using a different weave of fabric to make the seat

It said in a statement: ‘The Skyrider sitting surface is higher than a standard seat.

‘This height, in conjunction with other features, allows to place rows of Skyrider at an installation pitch of 23’ with an acceptable comfort for the passenger.

‘While a standard economy seat ensures the maximum capacity only in all economy class arrangement, the above characteristics permit to fill the aircraft cabin with the maximum allowed number of passengers (per type certificate) in a multi-class configurations.’

Aviointeriors says the design could comply with the seating arrangement on an Airbus A321 and A320 and a Boeing 737. All three aircraft are usually used for short-haul flights.  

The back of the Skyrider 3.0 seat, which Aviointeriors says weighs 50 per cent less than standard economy seats and has a reduced number of components for minimum maintenance costs

The back of the Skyrider 3.0 seat, which Aviointeriors says weighs 50 per cent less than standard economy seats and has a reduced number of components for minimum maintenance costs

The company added that Skyrider 3.0 weighs 50 per cent less than standard economy seats and has a reduced number of components for ‘minimum maintenance costs’.

Its claim is that this seating represents ‘the new frontier of low-cost tickets and passenger experience’. 

It’s not known whether any airlines have bought the seating yet.

In 2010 Ryanair conducted a poll of 120,000 people and found that 80,000 of them would consider upright seats if they were free, while 42 per cent said they would use them if the fare was half that of a traditional ticket.  

The Skyrider 2.0 seat, the previous model of the standing up seat. It's not known whether any airlines have bought the seating yet

The Skyrider 2.0 seat, the previous model of the standing up seat. It’s not known whether any airlines have bought the seating yet

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk