Airbus super squeeze coming to an airplane near you

By
Geoffrey Thomas
776
June 17, 2022
A321neoLR tanks ETOPS
Image: Airbus

Airbus is planning to add another six seats to its 186-seat A320 and another 20 to its A330 which will mean the slimmest seats and toilets you have ever experienced.

Of course, most airlines, fearing a passenger revolt will not adopt the increased seating but charter and low-cost airlines are expected to sign up.

To achieve this the seat pitch would be reduced to just 28 inches (71cm) and some seats would partially overlap the exit doors.

Airbus had developed a high-density version of the A330 which was snapped up by Cebu Pacific in 2014.

The Cebu Pacific A330 remains the world’s most tightly configured with 436 Economy seats. The aircraft is configured with nine abreast seating in a 3-3-3 configuration which gives passengers just 16.5 inches (41.9cm) between armrests, which is a 3.75-5 centimetre reduction off the standard economy configurations found in most economy cabins.

However, the new Airbus initiative would see the certified limit for the A330 lifted from 440 seats to 465 passengers.

This would also require the installation of much smaller galleys which have proved very unpopular with cabin crew.

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1 COMMENT

  1. I would certainly hope most main stream airlines would avoid going to this ridiculous seating arrangement. The current situation is just bearable. This suggestion would be totally wrong.