This New Seating Design Could Be The Future of Flying

Kelly Corbett
·6 min read
Photo credit: Instagram
Photo credit: Instagram

From House Beautiful

It’s no secret that the pandemic has taken a toll on the aviation industry. In fact, United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz pegged COVID-19 as "the most disruptive crisis in the history of aviation,” according to MarketWatch. Not only are fewer people booking flights, but U.S. airlines are now legally required to give full refunds on flights canceled or delayed due to coronavirus. While it’s a win for us, it another hit for airlines alike.

Last week, a handful of major airlines announced that they would now require passengers to wear face-coverings on flights. While this will definitely help, is it enough to keep passengers safe? The reality of the situation is that we can’t avoid airplanes forever, but for passengers to feel safe in flight, airlines are going to have to make some changes. One design firm may have a solution on how to rearrange a plane’s seating to minimize passenger’s exposure to each other.

Last month Avio Interiors, based in Italy, posted a picture to its Instagram account proposing its "Janus" design, which was inspired by the two-faced god of Ancient Rome. This design model reworks the traditional three-seater model by reversing the direction of the middle passenger's seat. While the aisle and window seats will remain forward-facing, a transparent shield will further barricade passengers from each other, creating a personal space for each flyer. This shield will help to "prevent the breath propagation to occupants of adjacent seats,” the firm wrote. It would also extend to the aisle seat to help keep passengers isolated from those walking by. In addition, these seats would be made of easy-to-clean materials to make cleanings more efficient.

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POLTRONA “JANUS” Come Giano bi-fronte, il dio dell’ Antica Roma, questa proposta si contraddistingue per l’inversione della posizione del posto centrale della tripla proprio per garantire il massimo isolamento tra i passeggeri seduti accanto l’uno all’altro mantenendo il medesimo comfort. Mentre i passeggeri seduti sui posti estremi, lato corridoio e lato parete, continuano ad essere posizionati nella direzione di volo come usuale, il passeggero seduto al centro è rivolto in senso inverso. “Janus” è una poltrona bi-fronte che consente di separare tutti e tre i passeggeri con una schermatura che li isola uno dall’altro costituendo barriera protettiva per tutti. Ogni passeggero ha il suo spazio isolato dagli altri, anche dalle persone che transitano per il corridoio. Ogni posto della poltrona “Janus” è circondato su tre lati da una schermatura di altezza tale da impedire la propagazione del respiro verso occupanti dei sedili adiacenti. I materiali impiegati nella poltrona “Janus” sono scelti perché sono di facile pulizia e di sicura igienizzazione. "JANUS" SEAT Like two-faced Janus, the god of Ancient Rome, this proposal is distinguished by the reverse position of the center seat of the triple to ensure the maximum isolation between passengers seated next to each other. While passengers seated on the side seats, aisle and fuselage, continue to be positioned in the flight direction as usual, the passenger sitting in the center is facing backwards. So “Janus” is a two-faced seat, in fact this arrangement allows all three passengers to be separated with a shield made of transparent material that isolates them from each other, creating a protective barrier for everyone. Each passenger has its own space isolated from others, even from people who walk through the aisle. Each place of the "Janus" seat is surrounded on three sides by a high shield that prevents the breath propagation to occupants of adjacent seats. “Janus” seat is made of easy cleaning and safe hygienisation materials. The option is available with the shield in opaque material or with different degrees of transparency. #aviation #aircraftseat #airlines #economyclass #businessclass #welcomeonboard

A post shared by @ aviointeriors on Apr 20, 2020 at 6:25am PDT

Instagram users were quick to criticize the design in the comments, pointing out how passengers would now be facing flyers in other rows, as well as how takeoff and landing might feel for a passenger who isn’t facing forward. Right now, this is only a proposal and Avio Interiors has not started manufacturing or selling these seats.

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“GLASSAFE” kit che può essere installato sulle poltrone attualmente esistenti per rendere più sicura la convivenza tra passeggeri che condividono il medesimo ambiente di viaggio. “Glassafe” è realizzato in materiale trasparente per rendere l’intera cabina armoniosa ed esteticamente leggera, ma perfettamente rispondente all’obiettivo di creare un volume isolato attorno ad ogni passeggero in modo da minimizzare contatti o interazioni via aerea tra passeggero e passeggero, così da ridurre la probabilità di contaminazione da virus o altro. “Glassafe” è disponibile in varie esecuzioni con sistemi di fissaggio adattabili a qualsiasi poltrona che ne permettono una facile installabilità e rimovibilità. Tutti selezionati per la loro facile pulizia e perfetta igienizzazione. “GLASSAFE” A kit-level solution that can be installed on existing seats to make close proximity safer among passengers sharing the same seat. "Glassafe" is made of transparent material to make the entire cabin harmonious and aesthetically light, but perfectly fulfilling the objective of creating an isolated volume around the passenger in order to avoid or minimize contacts and interactions via air between passenger and passenger, so as to reduce the probability of contamination by viruses or other. "Glassafe" is supplied in various executions with fixing systems to the seat that allow easy installation and removal. “Glassafe” can be supplied in opaque material or with different degrees of transparency, all easy cleaning and suitable for a safe hygienisation. #aviation #aircraftseat #airliners #businessclass #economyclass #welcomeonboard✈️ #madeinitaly🇮🇹

A post shared by @ aviointeriors on Apr 20, 2020 at 6:36am PDT

The company also shared another prototype to Instagram called "Glassafe." Instead of installing entirely new seats on a plane, this shielding would act as an add-on to existing seats. Much like the barriers in "Janus" model, "Glassafe" would help minimize contact between passengers, without the reversal of any seats. The design was also met with criticism in the comment section as users pointed out that passengers will still be breathing the same air.

While Avio's designs did not fare well on social media, it doesn't mean they're off the table just yet—each airline will have to draw its own plan up on proceed. Either way, these models opened users eyes to the idea that flying might not ever be the same until there is a COVID-19 vaccine and more access to testing.

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