Frequent flyers know that the rows at the emergency exits have a decisive advantage: the distance to the front seats is much greater than in the other rows of economy class. You are not allowed to put bags under the front seats and you have to make sure to get on as early as possible if you have a lot of hand luggage. But the effort is worth it, especially on longer flights.
Now, at least for some airlines, the emergency exits could become narrower. German aircraft seat manufacturer Recaro has developed a new chair called the X-Tend, in which part of the seat folds down when the passenger stands up. If he sits down again, he has to pull the front part up again using a mechanism. That way, the seats could be closer to the front row, but it won’t be as cramped as in the rest of the plane. “A short seat bottom would be easy but not comfortable,” says Mark Hiller, CEO of Recaro Aircraft Seating.
The fact that there is more space at the emergency exits is due to the safety requirements of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the European aviation safety authority, and the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). They stipulate that there must be a distance of at least 33 centimeters between the lower end of the backrest of the front seat and the front edge of the seat cushion at the emergency exits. This is to ensure that passengers and flight attendants have enough space during an evacuation. For the same reason, no luggage may be lying around in the take-off and landing area.
For the airlines, the rule means less revenue, at least in theory, because they are installing fewer seats in the cabins. The Airbus A320neonext to the Boeing 737 MAX the standard model for short and medium-haul routes is approved for up to 194 seats. But most airlines accommodate significantly fewer passengers, also because they leave a seat free in business class. With Lufthansa there are up to 166 passengers, most low-cost airlines fly with just under 190 guests.
Airbus wants to increase its capacities
Recaro is now advertising that the new seat at some Airbus operators allows just enough additional space to be installed in the aircraft. Recaro worked with Airbus on the design, but EASA still has to approve the concept. This should be done by the end of the year. Airbus has an increased interest in expanding the capacity of the A320neo to increase. Because the competing 737-8 is even certified for 210 passengers, although no airline actually tries to put that many people in the plane.
With demand being so high right now and each additional seat selling at a high price, there is a strong case for accommodating as many passengers as possible. However, many companies have already tried to make a business out of the emergency exits. When booking, passengers can reserve more spaced seats, of course, at an additional cost. The concept was first introduced by the low-cost airlines, but it is now standard with almost every airline. Recaro boss Hiller argues that the airlines still have more space despite the smaller distance and the airlines can continue to sell the rows at the emergency exits as premium seats. Because the minimum distance from backrest to backrest is 33 inches (about 84 centimeters). On short and medium-haul flights, 29 inches (about 74 centimeters) are currently more common in the industry. And the demand seems to be right: “We have inquiries from numerous airlines,” says Hiller.