Aviointeriors, the Italian aircraft seat manufacturer, recently unveiled the new SkyRider seat at the Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas trade show. This seat, also called a stand-up seat, a bicycle seat and a saddle seat, has been talked about for a long time.

Most coach airplane seats have a pitch of about 31 inches. Pitch is defined as the distance between one point on a seat and the same point on the seat in front of it. The SkyRider has about 23 inches of pitch and possibly even less, depending on how it is installed. The SkyRider is said to be aimed at flights of about two hours. It will be at a significantly reduced price from regular coach seats.

There are still some safety concerns, which must be considered, and ultimately it must meet regulatory safety standards. One such concern is the evacuation process with these extra passengers crammed into such a tight spot.

I only saw one picture of the model, and it looked like an exercise bike with a cushioned seatback. It didn’t look very comfortable even for a “short” two hour flight. Maybe if they made it an actual exercise bike, they could market it as inexpensive and healthy.

I guess it will probably come down to cost. If it is cheap enough, some people will buy into it (although I doubt anyone will really like the seats). I have a feeling these passengers might make more bathroom trips, just to get a break from these seats.

— John Wroblewski, distribution specialist