British company designs futuristic seats for post-coronavirus aircraft
Streamlined, seam-free seats; antimicrobial finishes; minimal touch points; and a colour palette designed to reassure – UK design company PriestmanGoode has unveiled its vision for the future of air travel.
Its Pure Skies concept reimagines business and economy-class cabins for a post-pandemic travel industry. The company moves away from the notion of “class” altogether and instead introduces “rooms” and “zones”.
Acknowledging that airlines are currently preoccupied with resuming services and protecting jobs, PriestmanGoode believes it will take at least three years for the aircraft cabins of the future to be developed and certified – but it has started envisaging what they might look like.
The future success of the airline industry lies in its ability to reduce passenger anxiety, improve personal space and hygiene levels, and introduce touch-free journeys, the design team says.
In the Pure Skies Room, formerly known as business class, each seat is a fully enclosed space, separated by full-height curtains. An innovative seat design will feature minimal split lines and seam-welded fabrics, while finishes and materials will be antimicrobial.
Each “room” will offer the option to personalise lighting and temperature settings, and will include an in-flight entertainment system that can be synchronised with the passenger’s own devices.
To further minimise unnecessary contact, each passenger will have their personal overhead stowage and wardrobe.
In the Pure Skies Zone – PriestmanGoode’s rendering of economy class – dividing screens will be placed between every other row to separate passengers, while a staggered seat configuration will maximise the feeling of personal space.
Seat shells will have gap-free backs to eliminate dirt traps, while the recline mechanism will be incorporated within the fabric skin to further avoid hard-to-clean crevices.
PriestmanGoode is also proposing the removal of in-flight entertainment screens on the back of its economy seats, in favour of passengers using their own devices. Alternatively, airlines can hire out devices, introducing a new revenue stream.
Seat-back trays would also become a thing of the past with this new design, replaced instead with clip-on meal trays.
Maria Kafel-Bentkowska, PriestmanGoode’s head of colour, material and finish says: “We have taken hygiene to a whole new level by using the latest developments in colour, material and finish, and completely rethinking the seat cover construction. We have eliminated all but the essential seat breaks needed for functionality. Other split lines have been treated with heat-welded tape that eliminates places for the virus to hide.
“However as the virus is invisible, we have taken into consideration passengers’ needs for reassurance while boarding,” Kafel-Bentkowska says.
“We have introduced the idea of UVC light and heat cleaning to the cabin. And, by using existing technologies such as photochromic and thermochromic inks that would react to the new cleaning methods, a message of reassurance can be seen on the fabric surface while boarding, but then disappears once the passenger is settled.
“Turning the invisible visible and creating a graphic interface to communicate a message of reassurance supports the airlines’ brand messages around hygiene and safety.”
Purple lighting will signal that the cleaning process is under way. This will then transition to peach and yellow tones, to create a warm and positive onboard environment. Meanwhile, the palette on seats and throughout both cabins will be kept light, to further reassure passengers. Shades of green have also been introduced to provide a natural, calming effect.
“This latest work from the studio represents pragmatic innovation,” says Nigel Goode, co-founding director of PriestmanGoode.
“With the benefit of over 30 years of experience, we know how to harness design to achieve long-term positive change.
“We have looked ahead to imagine future scenarios and taken into account new passenger behaviours driven by the global pandemic to ensure our designs can be implemented within a few years and will meet user and airline requirements for many years ahead.”
Goode adds: “With both passengers and airline employees at the heart of this project, we have not only taken onboard present anxieties, but also tried to ensure our solutions are future-proofed against future pandemics, recognising the significant commitment and investment involved.”
We have looked ahead to imagine future scenarios and taken into account new passenger behaviours NIGEL GOODE Co-founding director, PriestmanGoode