While flights are still grounded and overseas travel is off the cards for the foreseeable future, the future of air travel is looking bright.
Recently, an Italian company redesigned aircraft seat configurations to reverse the middle seat in a row of three as an effective way to maintain distancing between passengers and help prevent the spread of germs, and now, a US company has taken things a step further.
Zephyr Aerospace, a San Fransisco start-up, has designed an economy class solution to overcrowded seating on long-haul flights with a new double-decker configuration.
The design called the Zephyr Seat enhances passenger privacy and allows them to stretch their legs, whilst also helping travellers adhere to social distancing once flight paths resume.
Should airlines approve, the seats can be retrofitted into existing aircraft carriers in a 2-4-2 configuration, which would essentially allow airlines to carry the same number of passengers, CNN Travel reports.
The design of the seat presents passengers with more individual space and would allow them to lie down flat in a diagonal or sit with their legs up. It’s certainly a much more comfortable arrangement than current aircraft seats.
While the seat design is gaining popularity online, it’s said to be still a ways off from coming to fruition. CNN Travel reports that Zephyr Aerospace is working with an engineering partner, and has been in talks with four major airlines, one of which is Delta.
The concept is not entirely dissimilar to the Economy Skynest beds from Air New Zealand, which appears as three slim beds stacked on top of one another at the rear of the economy cabin in a triangle, presenting six travellers the opportunity to sleep lying down for a portion of future flights.
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