Getting back on the plane is likely to be a nerve-racking moment for many travelers.
Despite widespread assurances that cabin air is safe,
being in close proximity to strangers is bound to give some passengers cause for concern.
To address these worries, aircraft cabin designers have been working on a number of interesting
seating innovations. Could some of these solutions make it onto the plane in the future?
Let’s take a look at some of the most exciting design concepts out there…
Many airlines have taken to blocking the middle seat in a bid to provide
some degree of separation between passengers. With this in mind, some designs have emerged
to make blocking the middle seat even more effective. Factorydesign revealed a concept that
places a privacy screen in between passengers, turning the middle seat into a storage area.
Earthbay designer Florian Bajot presented a similar solution, albeit with a high-level
screen to be placed between rows. Both ideas are easily retrofitted to existing seats,
meaning they could be rapidly deployed with relatively low cost, but how realistic are they?
In the long run, the consensus is that it will be uneconomical to give up 33%
of the revenue on planes. It remains to be seen whether these types of devices make
it into the cabin before airlines want to start selling the middle seat again.
Aviointeriors is introducing a concept that allows the middle seat to be sold
while still providing protection. Its ‘Glassafe’ concept is a simple cabin
modification that places a glass screen over the top of each passenger’s head.
UK design agency PreistmanGoode also ran with the screen idea, introducing what it
calls ‘Pure Skies Zones.’ These zones will put passengers in a ‘bubble’ with other travelers,
reducing their exposure from hundreds of travelers down to just six. Floor to ceiling
dividers between every other row blocks germ transmission around the wider plane, and staggered
seating allows passengers to sit together with their traveling companions or to stay apart.
So, how practical are these ideas? The glass hood design introduces multiple
additional surfaces that can harbor dirt while requiring additional cleaning.
It strikes us as impractical, although the concept itself is pretty well executed.
The zone idea would require a full cabin refit to
the new staggered seats - a major step airlines may not be willing to take.
Safran seats have proposed a number of different ideas, easily retrofitted to existing cabins.
These range from a simple headrest extension to full seat dividers and
have the potential to become something practical for future air travel.
Meanwhile, Aviointeriors suggested a kind of yin-yang seating arrangement. Called the
‘Janus seat’ it would see every middle passenger facing backward, with dividing screens provided.
Even more radical is the semi-private cubicle idea brought to us by IpVenture
which would see passengers traveling in a double-deck arrangement,
with seats in a herringbone pattern and transparent walls between each seat.
For business class, we can expect to see more separation employed in the future.
Doors on business class suites have been popular with travelers and will likely be more common.
PreistmanGoode has revealed a concept it calls Pure Skies Rooms. These ‘rooms’ are designed to
emphasize personal space, hygiene, and touch-free journeys. Passengers have a fully enclosed cabin
with floor to ceiling curtains. Everything they need is contained in their own personal space.
The IFE is synched to the passenger’s smart device, eliminating the need to touch the system’s
screen. The seat itself even provides a visual indication of cleanliness,
changing color to indicate recent sanitization. Would you like to see any of these concepts make
it into the aircraft cabin? Let us know in the comments.