Budget airline Ryanair denies claims it will soon offer 'cheaper standing seats'

Low-budget recreation has soared complete nan past decade, and it is difficult to deliberation of a cheaper action than Ryanair, which has been known to connection flights for arsenic small arsenic €7.99.

However, caller viral posts person claimed that nan Irish hose will soon connection an moreover cheaper action of "standing seats."

These seats would lucifer bicycle saddles mounted vertically, allowing passengers to thin alternatively than beryllium fully.

Passengers would fundamentally beryllium successful a semi-upright position, supported by a padded, constrictive seat, which includes a backrest to stabilise nan passenger's posture.

Additional information features typically shown successful mock-ups of these designs see harness-style spot belts aliases straps intended to unafraid passengers during take-off, landing, and turbulence, on pinch vertical poles connecting each statement to nan craft ceiling for added stability.

It is simply a very compact statement that allows airlines to accommodate much passengers per compartment connected short-haul flights.

Several travel-focused outlets and societal media posts alleged that Italian shaper Aviointeriors was going to supply these seats to Ryanair, which would successful move commencement offering them arsenic a formation action arsenic soon arsenic 2026.

However, nan institution has confirmed to Euronews that it has "no plans to do so."

Meanwhile, Aviointeriors' charismatic communications confirmed that nan Skyrider, a opinionated spot mock-up often featured successful these claims, "is successful truth a conceptual prototype making love backmost to 2012" and "is not portion of nan charismatic line-up" of their products. 

Still, nan root of these viral claims really traces backmost to past statements by Ryanair's CEO, Michael O'Leary, who is known for suggesting unconventional cost-cutting ideas.

As acold backmost arsenic 2010, O'Leary discussed nan theoretical conception of "standing seats" to maximise aeroplane abstraction and connection highly debased fares. He besides projected nan thought of pay-per-use onboard toilets successful 2009, arsenic good arsenic a "fat tax" that would enforce other charges connected overweight passengers.

However, these ideas were discussed arsenic jokes aliases attention-grabbing tactics, and nary plans were ever formally drafted.

Could opinionated seats work?

Although nary hose has yet confirmed nan usage of these opinionated seats, nan conception could, successful principle, beryllium feasible connected very short-haul flights.

The opinionated seats designed by Aviointeriors person already undergone preliminary information tests and person shown that they could withstand nan emergency landing conditions and accelerated removal requirements mandated by aviation regulators.

These tests propose that, from a purely information standpoint, it mightiness beryllium imaginable to meet nan rigorous standards group by agencies for illustration nan European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). 

The superior rumor airlines and manufacturers look is really rider comfort. Even connected little flights, nan semi-standing posture passengers would adopt connected these saddle-style seats raises concerns astir discomfort, fatigue, and circulation problems.

Likewise, airlines already look disapproval complete shrinking legroom and cramped conditions. Introducing opinionated seats would make important backlash: while surveys bespeak a mini niche of ultra-budget travellers mightiness clasp opinionated seats if fares were highly low, wide nationalist take would apt beryllium challenging, and limit nan airline's commercialized viability.