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Concept cabins cram fliers onto planes
If you thought airlines could find no new ways to squeeze more passengers into each plane, you are underestimating the resolve of the airline industry.
At this month’s Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, many of the 500 exhibitors were promoting new ideas to cut down on weight — to save fuel — and innovative layouts to fit more seats per cabin.
Among the concepts offered at the expo was a set of seats that put passengers face to face; seats that are installed in a staggered, diagonal layout, and lavatories designed to wedge in a few extra passengers in the back of the cabin. One company has even introduced a lightweight lap belt.
Airlines may eventually pack in so many seats per cabin that carriers will reach the maximum passenger totals allowed by federal regulators. But U.S. carriers have not reached that point yet.
One of the world’s largest airline interior manufacturers, French-based Zodiac Aerospace, unveiled a set of three seats with one passenger facing forward, one facing backward and another facing forward. The seat bottoms flip up, like the seats at a ballpark, to let passengers board and exit faster.
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It’s a concept strictly for short-haul flights. The drawbacks: no armrests, and the seat bottom cushions are pretty thin.
Another aircraft interior manufacturer, Thompson Aero Seating of Northern Ireland, was promoting the "Cozy Suite." It’s an idea that installs economy seats at an angle, with one slightly behind and to the left of the other, to maximize cabin space. The Cozy Suite also has tilt-up seat bottoms.
But the biggest buzz at the expo was over a small French company called Expliseat, which has developed a seat made of lightweight titanium and composite materials. It weighs about 8.8 pounds, whereas newer economy seats weigh about 24 pounds.
The company promises fuel-cost savings of up to $500,000 a year for the average Airbus 320 or Boeing 737 planes. The European Aviation Safety Agency has approved the seat for use on European aircraft.
Hugo Martin, Los Angeles Times
