Flying standing up? The idea of standing seats is back on the agenda

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 05. 23. 09:47

Low-cost airlines could reach a new level of cost-effectiveness: the concept of standing-up seats is back on the agenda. The latest version of the “saddle chair” from the Italian company Aviointeriors, dubbed Skyrider 2.0, has reportedly successfully passed the necessary safety tests, so it could appear on board some short-haul flights as early as 2026.

The special seat design is not a full seat, but a semi-standing position: passengers sit in a saddle-like seat at a 45-degree angle, while standing on their feet and leaning their backs and heads against the backrest. The system is, of course, complemented by a seat belt. According to the developers, the new type of seat requires only 23 inches (about 58 cm) of row spacing, compared to the current 31 inches (about 79 cm) of seats, so up to 20% more passengers could fit on a plane.

Skyrider 2.0 does not yet have all the necessary international certifications and no airline has officially announced its launch. However, Aviointeriors said that several low-cost carriers are interested in the solution – especially those operating short flights of up to two hours, where comfort can be put on the back burner for the sake of price-sensitive travelers.

The question remains: will the general public really be willing to compromise on comfort in the hope of even cheaper airfares? The coming years will provide the answer – not only from a technological perspective, but also from a market and passenger experience perspective.