At the recent Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, Italian seat manufacturer Aviointeriors presented the latest version of its Skyrider standing seat. First introduced a decade ago, the Skyrider keeps getting tweaked to make it more appealing to airlines and within applicable FAA regulations.

The Skyrider is basically a bicycle seat with a padded back support. The pitch (the distance from a point on one seat to the same point on the seat in front of it) is a mere 23 inches, compared to the usual 29–32 inches in economy class. FAA regulations do not dictate any minimum pitch or seat size on some planes.

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A spokesperson for Aviointeriors stated the purpose of the Skyrider is not to cram people in the cabin like cattle but rather to offer more options. This ultra-basic economy would be a first and would open air flight to more people.

The FAA has a number of regulations aimed at the safety of the airplane passenger, including being able to have all cabin passengers evacuated within 90 seconds in the event of an emergency. It has yet to be determined if the Skyrider would meet all safety regulations.

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 could present an obstacle for Skyrider. It requires the FAA to set minimum dimensions for U.S. airplane seats, including pitch, width and length.

The Skyrider received a fair share of criticism, but it also has caught the attention of industry insiders. While the industry is not quite ready to accept standees on board, it might only take one daring airline to experiment with such seats on short flights for standing seats to become a reality.

— John Wroblewski, online writer