Italian seat manufacturer Aviointeriors has come up with a design that allows passengers to stretch their legs as much as they want when they travel without any extra cost.
The catch? The seats are so far upright that they’ll be pretty much standing up.
Unveiled at the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2018 in Hamburg, the SkyRider 2.0 aims to help airlines squeeze in more passengers by allowing an “ultra-high density” and reducing the space between rows.
Reappearing at the 2018 Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, this time in lurid yellow and blue (hint, hint, Ryanair), and with more cushioning, they weigh 50 per cent less than standard plane seats do currently, and are sized to squish 20 per cent more people into a cabin.
It’s a new and improved version of a design the manufacturer revealed in 2010 but failed to get off the ground.
The original Skyrider, which was was not approved by the US Federal Aviation Administration, was designed in the style of a horse saddle.
Aviointeriors compared the seating position to that of a horseback rider, pointing out that cowboys can sit on saddles for hours without feeling uncomfortable.
The reduced legroom brings the seat pitch (the distance between one seat and the next in front) down to 23 inches. By way of comparison, the likes of easyJet and Jet2 have a seat pitch of 29 inches – among the lowest in the game.
Eight years on and no airline has yet purchased the Skyriders, you might be pleased to hear. But considering budget airlines like Ryanair have no qualms with cost-cutting measures that sacrifice comfort.
The Skyrider is designed for short flights only, rather obviously given that tray tables are non-existent, there is no-sign of in-flight entertainment, and seats don’t appear to recline.
Source: The Telegraph & CNN
