HAMBURG—Spanish airplane seat designer Alejandro Núñez Vicente has revealed an innovative concept at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany. The staggered double-deck layout would allow the airlines to fit 30% fewer seats into their aircraft cabins. According to Vicente, the alternating upper and lower seat rows, the steps that lead to them, and the barriers between the upper seat’s foot space and the lower seat’s seatback not only waste so much space that the cabin would fit about one-third fewer seats, but also increase the cabin weight by around 45%.
In an age where airlines are looking for innovative ways to lose money, Vicente’s concept might just be the breakthrough the industry has been waiting for. “The photos of my concept have gone viral in the last few weeks with people commenting how everyone would fart into everyone else’s face,” Vicente told RWY37 Aviation News at the Hamburg event. “I think they are all missing the point here. This might be the true game changer to make airlines truly unprofitable. Most airlines have only been able to slowly increase their losses by single digit rates in the last decade. We’re going all-in, offering a concept that could instantly kick airlines into Chapter 11 and bankrupt them within a week, a process that normally takes many years.”
Italy’s ITA Airways will be the launch customer of the new seats, with the first A350 cabin expected to be refitted by the end of the month.