Just how much will passenger expectations shift in the post-COVID19 world? No one really knows yet, but at least one aircraft seating manufacturer is ready with some creative ideas for helping ensure passenger isolation, even without reducing seating density. Welcome to the “Janus” seat from Aviointeriors, a yin-yang option for economy class.
We can offer the market our contribution through already designed and industrialized solutions to be supplied to our customers in a very short time, even by incorporating any customizations if required.
We have studied new solutions that take into account social distancing among passengers sitting on the same seat in the economy class, where there is a condition of higher density, but with characteristics that remain applicable even in the lower density classes such as the premium economy or business class.
Janus: A yin-yang seat for economy class
Like two-faced Janus, the god of Ancient Rome, this proposal is distinguished by the reverse position of the center seat of the triple to ensure the maximum isolation between passengers seated next to each other. While passengers seated on the side seats, aisle and fuselage, continue to be positioned in the flight direction as usual, the passenger sitting in the center is facing backwards.
In addition to the offset seating, the Janus seat includes a divider shield made of transparent material, isolating passengers from each other. This delivers protective barrier for everyone. Each passenger has their own space isolated from others, even from those walking down the aisle.
Quick-install “Glassafe” dividers
For airlines that don’t want to replace the existing seats another option exists from Aviointeriors. The company’s “Glassafe” product is a protective shell that can be installed on existing seats, providing some isolation for each traveler.
The company describes it as making “the entire cabin harmonious and aesthetically light, but perfectly fulfilling the objective of creating an isolated volume around the passenger in order to avoid or minimize contacts and interactions via air between passenger and passenger, so as to reduce the probability of contamination by viruses or other.”
Will they fly?
Aviointeriors has a history of more creative designs for the cabin, concepts such as the SkyRider seat that are almost certainly never going to fly. The Janus and Glassafe concepts are definitely more aggressive than the typical incremental change we see in cabin offerings. But also not so crazy as to think they couldn’t work for airlines.
Perhaps the bigger discussion must be around how large the industry changes will be long-term rather than an intermittent shift in behavior. Changes to seating layouts are not a quick move and come with costs. The dividers are a little easier to implement and likely less disruptive to the overall passenger experience.
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So now the guy in the middle seat coughs into my face instead of just hogging the armrest?
Innovative it is, and I like the idea of the shields between seats. However, there is no shield in front of you face, and unless airlines plan on substantially increasing legroom, (pause here for laughter) this does not solve the problem of airborne contagion.
I see one huge problem with yin yang seating — it doesnt look like the seats recline at all. This would be torture on a cross-country or international flight.
It is supposed to recline within the shell, so the seat pan slides forward as it does. That sort of “articulating recline” has had some success over the years and also some examples of not so much success.
I love the idea – the border prevents a person of size from enroaching on your space. big differentiator. It doesn’t look like the janus ying-yang seat reclines, but i’d much rather trade a side support to sleep on versus a recline.