Airbus is thinking about a redevelopment project of the interior of its planes, allowing in particular to maximize the place for the legs.
On the porthole side, at the front, at the wings … Everyone has their preference for space on the plane. In economy class, a problem, however, comes up frequently: the lack of space for the legs. According to a study of the flight comparator Liligoduring long-haul flights, the average distance between the seats is 80 centimeters against 77 centimeters for short flights. These are Air France and its subsidiary low cost hop! which offer the most space.
In general, seats in terms of emergency exits make it possible to spread your legs a little more, but you often have to pay an additional cost to be able to choose them. The comparator adds that the plane tail squares are also mostly more generous in space. However, you must like to be near the toilet and possibly descend last from the plane.
What if the solution was then to review the placement of the seats on the plane? This is the question that Airbus would ask. Currently. The Spanish start-up long chair has indeed revealed to Cnn That she “explored certain concepts at an early stage” with Airbus. One of the projects is a total redevelopment of the interior space of planes. The seats would now be on two levels, thanks to the removal of storage chests. The passengers could then choose between the two floors which each have their advantage.
Several videos published on YouTube (here or per here) Show what these new seats might look like. The lower floor will offer a more generous space for the legs since it would be possible to spread them below the upper seat. The latter would benefit from “best angles of inclination” and from “greater freedom of movement” since there would be no one behind at the same level, explained the designer and CEO of a lounge chair, Alejandro Núñez Vicente.
The latter also assured that Airbus saw the “true potential of seats on two levels”. They could appear in the middle of conventional rows to give the choice to travelers. For the moment, however, neither of the two large manufacturers (Airbus, but also Boeing) has publicly indicated that this kind of seat would arrive in planes soon. Because there are some obstacles to this technology.
One of the criteria that poses a problem, however, is that of security. This provision could extend the time of evacuation of the device in the event of an incident. Besides this concern, the person at the bottom could also feel compressed by facing the upper structure. Some see it above all an Airbus attempt to pile travelers even more. “With the support of Airbus, this is a realistic and achievable objective that will considerably improve passenger trips,” said Alejandro Núñez Vicente.