Vertical seat
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The vertical seat (standing seat, stand-up seat) is an
airline seat An airline seat is a seat on an airliner in which passengers are accommodated for the duration of the journey. Such seats are usually arranged in rows running across the airplane's fuselage. A diagram of such seats in an aircraft is called an ...
configuration, created in 2003 by
Airbus Airbus SE (; ; ; ) is a European Multinational corporation, multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace manufacturer, aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft througho ...
, canvassed to Asian carriers in 2006, and promoted by
Ryanair Ryanair is an Irish ultra low-cost carrier founded in 1984. It is headquartered in Swords, Dublin, Ireland and has its primary operational bases at Dublin and London Stansted airports. It forms the largest part of the Ryanair Holdings family ...
as well as
Spring Airlines Spring Airlines Co., Ltd. () is a low-cost carrier with its headquarters in the Homeyo Hotel () in Changning District, Shanghai, China. While the company adopted the English name "Spring Airlines", the Chinese name literally means "Spring Autumn ...
in 2010s. The configuration involves
standing passenger In urban public transport, provision is made for standing passengers, often called straphangers or standees, to rationalize operation and to provide extra capacity during rush hour. Occurrence On crowded rapid transit urban lines, while most tr ...
s travelling while being braced in position. The configuration and all designs have not yet been approved by regulatory agencies. There is no bar to such a configuration in
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
(US) regulations. However, according to
Transport Canada Transport Canada (french: Transports Canada) is the department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of road, rail, marine and air transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportati ...
(the agency responsible for aviation safety in Canada), vertical seats do not conform to Canadian seating requirements. In 2006,
Airbus Airbus SE (; ; ; ) is a European Multinational corporation, multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace manufacturer, aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft througho ...
was quietly polling
airline An airline is a company that provides civil aviation, air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or Airline alliance, alliances with other airlines for ...
s to see about the viability of a perch seat,''New York Times''
"One Day, That Economy Ticket May Buy You a Place to Stand"
Christopher Elliott, 25 April 2006 (accessed 17 September 2010)
which it had created in 2003. In 2010,
Ryanair Ryanair is an Irish ultra low-cost carrier founded in 1984. It is headquartered in Swords, Dublin, Ireland and has its primary operational bases at Dublin and London Stansted airports. It forms the largest part of the Ryanair Holdings family ...
promulgated a vertical seat design for use in its aircraft.''The Telegraph'' (London)
"Ryanair to sell £5 tickets for standing-room only flights"
Laura Roberts, 1 July 2010 (accessed 17 September 2010)
Both the
European Aviation Safety Agency The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is an agency of the European Union (EU) with responsibility for civil aviation safety. It carries out certification, regulation and standardisation and also performs investigation and monitorin ...
and UK
Civil Aviation Authority A civil aviation authority (CAA) is a national or supranational statutory authority that oversees the regulation of civil aviation, including the maintenance of an aircraft register. Role Due to the inherent dangers in the use of flight vehicles, ...
were skeptical as to the design being able to meet licensing requirements. The design was expected to start undergoing safety trials in the 2011–2012 time frame. It has already been rejected by
Boeing The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...
,''Sunday Morning Herald''
"Ryanair plan for standing-room 'vertical seats'"
Robyn Grace, 2 July 2010 (accessed 17 September 2010)
as it believes that the design would not meet the 16G regulatory requirement.''Toronto Star''
"Ryanair looking at standing 'seats,' pay toilets"
Jim Rankin, 2 July 2010 (accessed 17 September 2010)
Tigerair Australia Tiger Airways Australia Pty Ltd, operating as Tigerair Australia, was an Australian low-cost airline. Founded by Tiger Airways Holdings, it commenced services in the domestic airline market on 23 November 2007 as Tiger Airways Australia. It l ...
announced that it would also pursue the Ryanair design, as has its parent,
Tigerair Tiger Airways Singapore Pte Ltd, operating as Tigerair, was a budget airline headquartered in Singapore. It operated services to regional destinations in Southeast Asia, Bangladesh, Taiwan, China and India from its main base at Singapore Chang ...
.Business News
"Tiger Airways mulls 'vertical seating' option for passengers"
5 July 2010 (accessed 8 July 2010)
According to UK aviation law, passengers require a seatbelt on landing and takeoff, so the lack of a seat may preclude the design from being legal in the UK.New York ''Daily News''

Catey Hill, 3 July 2010 (accessed 17 September 2010)
The Ryanair design would have passengers perched on a narrow shelf, with their weight taken up by their legs, and their back against the seatback, strapped in, with additional shoulder restraints similar to rollercoaster overhead restraints. The configuration is superficially similar to the SkyRider saddle seat design proposed by
Aviointeriors Aviointeriors S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of airline seats. Some of Aviointeriors' competitors include BE Aerospace, Recaro, and Zodiac Aerospace. History Founding The company was founded as a branch of the “Uno-Pi” a home furniture c ...
.''National Post''
"Italian company unveils ‘saddle seat’ for airlines"
Ron Nurwisah, 15 September 2010 (accessed 17 September 2010)
In 2015, Chinese airline Spring Airlines expressed interest in using the vertical seat concept for consumer flights. In 2018, the Italian company Aviointeriors revealed its design for vertical seats.


References

{{reflist Aircraft cabin components Airliner seating