The seat that could change air travel forever

The seat that could change air travel forever
By admin


James SH Lee, from Paperclip designs has recently taken out the top prize at IATA’s 2014 Passenger Innovation Awards for his Butterfly seating solution.

As reported on by news.com.au, this new design would be intended for premium economy and business class suites.

The Butterfly concept will allow airlines to adjust cabin configuration based on real time demand for each flight and therefore make the most efficient use of limited cabin space.

“Flexible seating configuration helps airlines battle uncertainties. Demand is never constant and predictable — it differs seasonally, across different days of a week, across different markets, across different phases of economy cycle. With a fixed configuration there are bound to be lost opportunities or inefficiencies,” Lee said.

When used in premium economy, the Butterfly will increase seat width to 53cm between armrests (777 sized cabin), feature large cocktail trays, seat pockets on the side and an adjustable ottoman.

In business class the seat can be flipped to form one of the largest bed surfaces in the industry. With a staggering length of 195.6cm, the seat becomes a private suite including a side couch.

Lee shared with news.com.au that there is certainly a market present  for his design.

“Academic research on convertible seating used in European short haul flights shows a 3.3 per cent increase in revenue, which is hugely significant for the airline industry which makes a net profit between zero to four per cent globally. Butterfly helps to extend this benefit to long haul markets.”

Picture: Paperclip

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