Sideway airline seating: child’s play
Sideway seating is a concept that could revolutionize short haul flying, believes a pioneering company, Design Q. Where did they come up with the concept?
Try an unlikely source: a project for a primary school in Stoke on Trent.
“Design Q has designed aircraft seating for several major airlines, including Cathay Pacific’s latest economy, business and first class seating,” says Business Traveler.
The firm was asked to create a flexible teaching space inside a disused Short S-360 aircraft which has been located within the grounds of the primary school. Howard Guy, one of the founders of Design Q, said:
“We designed the interior of the aircraft for their needs as a schoolroom. Instead of forward facing seats they wanted the kids to be able to interact with each other, and the flexibility of seats that weren’t always there, as the younger kids sit on the floor, and there are dance classes, etc.”
He added:
“So we designed seats that went against the window areas, which folded down like cinema seats, with a side table for laptops. When we saw adults and children sitting in them, the penny dropped. It’s incredibly comfortable, and you have more space than normally when sitting in an aircraft, where you’re cramped in sitting forward.”
From this design the company has created a sideways seating concept which Guy says would work well on some aircraft such as the Boeing 737 or Airbus A319.
What are advantages? For the airlines, quicker cleaning times.
For the passengers: Extra legroom. And an aisle seat for everyone.
And what about seat belts? A harness style model is being developed.
By David Wilkening
David
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