The Collins Aerospace SkyNook layout makes good use of previously “wasted” space in the economy class cabin
A bit of extra space. Perhaps a bit of privacy, too. That’s the promise of Collins Aerospace‘s SkyNook suite. Unlike most on-board luxuries, however, this one is located at the back of the aircraft. The very last row, in fact, as the company aims to offer a more premium experience for economy class travelers.
It comes down to how are we utilizing space? And then how can we give something back for people to to say, this is almost an upgrade. This is a premium experience in the economy cabin.
– Jefferey McKee, Director of Customer Experience Design at Collins Aerospace
Aircraft interiors are designed to optimize every inch of space in the cabin. But for decades the back of the economy class cabin has typically flown without such optimizations in play. The fuselage tapers, meaning an airline must remove a seat from the back row(s). Some travelers go out of their way to select those seats, opting for the bit of extra shoulder room in exchange for sitting all the way in the back.
SkyNook makes that an even more compelling trade-off. It delivers a range of options that make the space adjacent to the seat more functional across a range of use cases. Though also at a price.
Selling the Space
The concept builds off years of design efforts from Collins. Jefferey McKee, Director of Customer Experience Design at Collins Aerospace, shares with PaxEx.Aero that the company showed off an earlier concept for a bassinet in the space in 2025 at Aircraft Interiors Expo. That seems to have struck a chord with at least one airline.
“Quite a few years ago we were doing some LOPA* studies and doing optimization of space,” McKee explains. “We were starting to see a pattern where those areas were underutilized, and either has to be a really special seat, a special passenger or there’s no passenger there. SkyNook is growing a solution that we developed some time ago through that optimization, taking it to that next level: What else can we do with the space that gives us that level of privacy, but also actually adds in some other features that are compelling for a broader range of passengers?”
Collins is moving towards productization of the concept. The company plans a flexible design that offers much more than just space for a baby. McKee further explains, “It just doesn’t have to be a family. It could be somebody else that needs some additional space for additional support.”
Renderings of the concept, shared as part of the company’s Crystal Cabin Awards application (it is a finalist for the 2026 prize) hint at a few of those extra options. In addition to the bassinet there’s an option to secure a car seat, or room for a support animal to travel more comfortably with the passenger. Another option shows a side table in that space.
Three of the options Collins Aerospace came up with for SkyNook.
When we look at the value proposition of what we’re trying to unlock with the airlines and with the passengers, it’s it’s really about looking at every inch in the cabin, looking at how we use every bit of real estate for something that’s going to give value back to the passenger or to the end to the airline.
McKee describes the outboard arm rest as akin to that in a premium economy cabin, “with opportunities of putting some additional surfaces that expand that to be could be a workable space.” He also recognizes that Collins and the airlines likely do not know all the options for its usage, suggesting that even as the engineers brainstorm other solutions SkyNook could provide, “passengers are very creative; they’ll find other ways to use that space.”
Putting Privacy Doors in Economy Class
In addition to space, SkyNook also brings a privacy door option to the back of the plane. McKee suggests a nursing mother, for example, might appreciate the extra privacy during the flight. But others might also want that additional space and a bit of separation from the lavatory queue at the rear galley.
With the door extended passengers in the SkyNook seats gain a bit of privacy.
McKee is also clear, however, that SkyNook is a modular concept. Airlines will get to choose if they want that privacy door (and the increased weight and complexity it brings) when putting together their implementation plan.
Certification also becomes an issue with the partition. McKee shares that Collins already performed some initial work on that, including ingress/egress studies. He further suggests the company has started the internal qualifications for the certification and is “confident” it can be realized.
As for customer commitments, McKee judiciously declined to answer a direct question to that point. He did suggest, however, “there are some things happening in the future and we’ll see that there is an opportunity.” With AIX just around the corner there seems a decent chance an announcement will be forthcoming then and there.
Finally, McKee quickly dismissed the idea that the space at the back of the twin-aisle aircraft was the last remaining opportunity for optimization and new ideas in the cabin. “We’re constantly optimizing everything, so there always will be discoveries as we do that, and that’s the whole point.”
* Layout Of Passenger Accommodations, the mapping of everything inside the cabin, from seats to storage to monuments to emergency equipment and more.
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Seth Miller has over a decade of experience covering the airline industry. With a strong focus on passenger experience, Seth also has deep knowledge of inflight connectivity and loyalty programs. He is widely respected as an unbiased commentator on the aviation industry.
He is frequently consulted on innovations in passenger experience by airlines and technology providers.
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