The new Airbus A320 layout can seat 194 passengers
Mind Your Knees
Airbus wants to get their A320 aircraft recertified to carry 194 passengers up from 180. By using an inventive new seating layout, the European aircraft manufacturer has found a way to add four new seats at the front and ten at the back. German Aviation Journalist Andreas Spaeth posted an image of the new layout to Twitter:
The new layout features a seat pitch (the distance between the backs of each seat) of only 28″, which many feel is too small. Another concern with the innovation is that several seats partially overlap the exit doors.
Airbus also has plans to squeeze an extra 15 seats into their A330, increasing its capacity to 465 passengers. Filipino airline Cebu Pacific has already expressed an interest in the new design.
A Growing Trend
This is not the first time that Airbus has increased the capacity on the A320. The aircraft was first certified in 1992 to carry a maximum of 180 passengers, but in recent years, the manufacturer has found ways of squeezing in extra seats.
In 2011, the Space-Flex system was introduced, which allowed room for six extra seats by cutting the rear galley in half, and squeezing the two toilets into the freed-up space.
Though the Space-Flex system had little effect on passengers’ space, it vastly reduced the working room of cabin crew. Not only was their storage space halved, but now they were sharing the rear galley area with passengers waiting to use the lavatory. Additionally, the two passenger toilets had less room that before.
Consequently, the Space-Flex system has proved controversial among airlines. It will be interesting to see then, what the response is to this new super-high-density layout will be if it gets certified.
What are your thoughts on the new seating layout? Let us know in the comments below!
