“Standing seats” on commercial flights could become the latest cost-saving measure deployed by budget airlines if designs for a new aircraft interior are adopted. Already in line with safety standards, the saddle-shaped cabin furniture would mean lower ticket prices but lower comfort levels too, as carriers attempt to fit more passengers into their planes.
The so-called “Skyrider” seats were first showcased seven years ago at Hamburg’s 2018 Aircraft Interiors Expo, by the Italian firm Avio Interiors. Unlike a standard economy seat, the Skyrider design, hailed as “innovative” by its makers, resembles more an upright padded bucket seat or perch that passengers can lean against at a 45 degree angle, saving nearly 18 centimetres of space by allowing only around 58 cm of room for each customer.
Airlines are gonna have budget flights with standing-room-only seats starting in 2026.
— Youssef Tamer (@YTY101_) May 24, 2025
How about packing humans like cargo for maximum efficiency? Tf pic.twitter.com/clwF9hDDrP
“Ultra-high density” or “torture devices”?
That space saving “allows an ultra-high density in the aircraft cabin,” Avio said in 2018. The seats are estimated to provide airlines 20% more capacity, therefore more profits, per flight. They also weigh about half the load of a normal seat giving them sustainability credentials in terms of fuel use, and, with fewer components, also have advantages when it comes to maintenance.
However, they are unsuitable for long-haul routes due to the need for passengers to maintain an upright position for so many hours. The idea was conceived as a result of the direction of an “evolving market environment in short-haul routes,” Avio said, launching the product.
But not everyone is convinced the standing seats will take-off even in the short-haul sector, with online commentary scathing and would-be flyers describing them as “torture devices” and “abominations.” The negative perception even led one Instagram user to suggest: “Whoever designed this should only be allowed to fly in seats like this.”
“Standing” airplane seats, which can increase passenger capacity by 20%, may be unveiled in 2026, according to the Daily Mail. pic.twitter.com/MdDOhz6cjE
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) May 21, 2025
No orders yet
It is not the first time the concept of standing seats on planes has been put forward. Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, questioned the need for traditional seats and even seatbelts on aircraft back in 2010, pointing out that high speed trains do not require passengers to be strapped in. At the time, he described an alternative that would be like “bar stools” allowing air tickets to be sold at the bargain price of just £1 (around €1,19).
However, though the Skyrider 2.0 has the necessary accreditations lined up and could be in the skies as soon as 2026, no airlines or manufacturers have yet signed up to adopt the space-saving design.
