Airbus, which creates planes for many of the world’s biggest airlines, could be launching double-level seating. The aviation start-up Chaise Longue, which is behind the dual-level seat design, confirmed it is “exploring some early stage concepts” with Airbus, which creates planes for companies such as British Airways, Emirates and Virgin Atlantic.
It marks a significant step forward for the start-up born from a college project, and Designer and Chaise Longue CEO, Alejandro Núñez Vicente, told CNN Travel he is thankful that Airbus sees “the true potential” of the design. By removing the overhead storage, the lower level seats would get more legroom, while the top level would have the ability to recline further. However, there is no visibility ahead or behind, as each seat is cocooned in. According to Chaise Longue, the economy and premium economy seat “optimises the space inside the cabin which provides higher levels of comfort, improved passenger experience and increased cabin efficiency”.
Vicente also launched a business class and first class version last year, but he has not confirmed which cabin Airbus is looking into, or whether it would look like the previous iterations. There are currently no concept images.
He confirmed the goal continues to be optimising space for passengers and airlines.
An Airbus representative confirmed to CNN Travel that “Chaise Longue is exploring some early stage concepts with Airbus on two-level seating solutions for Airbus commercial aircraft.”
They provided no further comment as it is currently at an early stage.
When the design was released in 2022, some it was claustrophobic, while others thought it could be comfier.
One user took to social media saying: “Disgusting…as if airlines think we will pay for that……rubbish…” while another added “That kicks in my claustrophobia just looking at it”.
Others were more postive, praising the ability to recline: “Yes it looks a bit tight, but as someone about to jump onto a 15-hour flight, that looks like a position I could actually fall asleep in.”
Chaise Longue reportedly only has between 1-10 employees, marking a significant development for the college start-up.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
