Traveling standing up? It’s proven to be safe, but the low-cost carriers don’t want it

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 05. 30. 11:10

The debate over standing airplane seats has been reignited after the Italian company Aviointeriors’ Skyrider 2.0 saddle-like seat successfully passed the necessary safety tests. Although the concept has been known for more than a decade, no airline has yet committed to actually introducing the “half-sitting, half-standing” seats. Now that the technological hurdles have been overcome, the first such seats could appear as early as 2026 – assuming there is demand for them, writes Vg.hu.

For low-cost airlines interested in maximizing passenger numbers, the design could hold a serious business opportunity: more passengers could fit on the same size plane, which could result in better utilization, lower ticket prices and higher profits. However, the issue goes beyond logistics. The semi-standing position can cause discomfort, fatigue and even circulatory problems even during short-haul flights, and this is an unacceptable compromise for most passengers.

A war of comments quickly erupted on social media around the idea of standing seats, which has left many people skeptical. Világgazdaság asked the largest discount airlines whether they plan to introduce standing seats in the near future.

Hungarian-affiliated Wizz Air carried 62.8 million passengers last year and expects to do so by 75 million this year. By 2030, the fleet size could reach 500 aircraft. Despite all this, the company has clearly stated that it does not plan to introduce standing seats.

EasyJet made a similar statement: according to their terse response, the concept is not on the agenda.

Irish Ryanair – which is also planning a spectacular expansion in our country, with an investment of 1.6 billion euros and a passenger count of 9 million – has also ruled out the possibility. According to the airline, standing seats are not among their future plans.

Although Skyrider 2.0 is technically ready to fly, the message from airlines is clear: the race is not about increasing discomfort, but about balancing efficiency and passenger experience. It seems that the concept of standing travel will remain on the ground – for now.