Aviointeriors releases post-coronavirus seat designs

Italian seat manufacturer, Aviointeriors, has released two seat designs for use after the coronavirus as concerns over hygiene post-health crisis onboard aircraft are expected to remain. However, the prototypes for the designs are still being developed, Aviointeriors confirms to AeroNewsX.

Founded in 1972, Aviointeriors is a seat manufacturer that competes against the likes of BE Aerospace and Recaro. One of the manufacturer's previous endeavours that made headlines included a seat pitch of just 23 inches, a concept known as 'SkyRider' which is an 'airliner saddle seat' design. It has not been licensed for use.

Aviointeriors has proposed two new designs for use after the health pandemic. The first one is a more simple concept called 'Glassafe' which entails a simple covering around the sides of your head which can be fitted on existing seats.

A rendering of the 'Glassafe' concept designed by Aviointeriors. Rendering by Aviointeriors.

The concept "is made of transparent material to make the entire cabin harmonious and aesthetically light, but perfectly fulfilling the objective of creating an isolated volume around the passenger in order to avoid or minimize contacts and interactions via air between passenger and passenger, so as to reduce the probability of contamination by viruses or other," the manufacturer said in a press release.

Rendering by Aviointeriors.

The company assured that the concept allows airlines to continue to fit tables, magazine pockets, coat hooks or other accessories. Furthermore, the product would be available for easy installation or removal. As for the airlines themselves, Aviointeriors says Glassafe would be available in an opaque material or could even be slightly transparent.

The second design is a more complex one. Named 'Janus' (named after the two-faced god of ancient Rome), the design enables passengers to isolate themselves from other passengers through the incorporation of a opposite-facing seat in the center.

The Janus design sees the center seat turned to avoid physical contact with neighbouring passengers. Rednering by Aviointeriors.

"The center passenger facing backwards occupies the same space as others, so this seat does not need a pitch higher than usual, access and exit clearance are as usual too and therefore the seat installation pitch remains as originally provided for by the aircraft specification lay-out," explains Aviointeriors in a press release.

The manufacturer noted that the high shield protection, separating the passenger in the middle to his/her neighbours, prevents propagation of viruses etc. through the air.

The design prevents propagation of viruses etc. through the air. Rendering by Aviointeriors.

When asked by AeroNewsX whether the designs were in production or had secured any customers, Aviointeriors responded: "Not yet, we are finishing our prototypes."

The company believes that these designs 'will be used for [the] long term', they told us, in an effort to maintain higher hygiene levels to prevent the spread of further viruses, illnesses or other.

Indeed, the public health crisis we are now seeing just demonstrates how easy it is for a virus to spread. Implementing designs now to limit any possible propagation in a reasonable manner could help prevent such a health crisis from happening again.