• Italian seat manufacturer Aviointeriors recently released new designs for its standing airplane seat.
  • Aviointeriors says the compact design of its Skyrider 3.0 seat could reduce the cost of travel, and maximize space inside planes.
  • The design cuts down the distance between seats.
  • Many people on the internet have aired their concerns with comfort and accessibility.
  • However, some airlines have previously expressed interest in standing-style plane seats.
  • Visit INSIDER’s homepage for more.

Italian airline seat manufacturer Aviointeriors has come up with a design for an airplane seat that it says would make flights a lot cheaper.

But the seat comes with a catch: Passengers would essentially have to stand up throughout the flight.

The aviation manufacturer’s concept for the plane seat, Skyrider 2.0, was originally introduced at Hamburg’s annual Aircraft Interiors Expo in April 2018. On Tuesday, an updated seat design, called Skyrider 3.0, was introduced at this year’s conference.

While the original design featured yellow seats separated by silver poles, the newer model includes black seats with yellow-paint-splatter detailing. Poles have also been removed from the new design.

Speaking to CNN, Aviointeriors' engineering designer Gaetano Perugini said Skyrider 3.0 would allow "standard economy, premium economy or business class, and ultra-basic economy" sections to be located within a single cabin.

On Twitter, avid travelers were not impressed with the updated seating models.

A representative from Aviointeriors previously told INSIDER that the 2.0 seat design featured a bottom that "ensures an increased upright passenger position."

The Skyrider 2.0

Foto: The Skyrider 2.0.sourceAviointeriors

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According to Aviointeriors, the Skyrider 2.0's upright passenger position would allow airlines to install the seats at a reduced pitch - a word that refers to the distance between a row of seats and the one in front of it. While a reduced pitch would mean less legroom for passengers, the manufacturer's representative previously told us that the seat design would still "maintain an adequate comfort" for passengers.

Front view of the Skyrider 2.0.

Foto: Front view of the Skyrider 2.0.sourceAviointeriors

According to the manufacturer, the compact design of the 2.0 version of the seat would enable airlines to accommodate 20% more passengers on planes. That version of the Skyrider was also lightweight, weighing 50% less than standard economy class seats.

That means airlines could cut down on fuel and maintenance costs and offer flights at much cheaper prices.

At the time, Aviointeriors said it believed its concept was "the new frontier of low-cost tickets and passenger experience," and while it sounds like the plane seat could change the way we travel in the future, it doesn't seem as though the design will become a reality anytime soon.

Despite the prospect of cheaper flights, many people were also skeptical of the earlier seat design.

After testing the seat in person at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in 2018, The Points Guy writer JT Genter wrote that "spending 10 minutes sitting in the saddle seat really didn't seem to be bad." However, at 5 foot 11 inches tall, he did notice that his "knees were firmly planted against the seatback for the entire time in the rear row."

When asked about the concerns over comfort, Aviointeriors' representative previously said the Skyrider 2.0 presented at the 2018 expo was only a mock-up.

"The final seat will have the possibility of height adjustment satisfying the critical categories," the representative said. "We feel that for a short-range trip (less than 90 min) seats are comfortable enough. We think that the final version will be able to accommodate elderly people as well as children."

Back view of Skyrider 2.0.

Foto: Back view of Skyrider 2.0.sourceAviointeriors

Despite the criticism the designs have received, some airlines have previously expressed interest in standing airplane seats

As Stuff pointed out, European budget carrier Ryanair outlined ideas for "vertical seating" back in 2010 and Colombia's budget airline, VivaColombia, has also started researching whether passengers could fly standing up.

Aviointeriors previously told INSIDER that there has already been "great interest" in the Skyrider 2.0. But only time will tell if people are actually willing to stand up throughout a whole flight in exchange for a cheap ticket.

Representatives for Aviointeriors did not immediately reply to INSIDER's request for further comment regarding its latest design.