Airlines look for new ways to squeeze in more seats

If you thought airlines could find no new ways to squeeze more passengers into each plane, you are underestimating the resolve of the airline industry.

At this month’s Aircraft Interior Expo in Hamburg, Germany, many of the 500 exhibitors were promoting new ideas to cut down on weight — thus saving airlines fuel — and innovative layouts to fit more seats per cabin.

Among the concepts offered at the expo was a set of seats that put passengers face to face, seats that are installed in a staggered, diagonal layout and redesigning lavatories to wedge in a few extra passengers in the back of the cabin. One company has even introduced a new lightweight lapbelt.

Airlines may eventually pack so many seats per cabin that carriers will reach the maximum passenger totals allowed by federal regulators. But U.S. carriers have not reached that point yet.

“There is no question that densification — adding more seats to each aircraft — is an ongoing trend and there is no sign of it letting up anytime soon,” said Seth Kaplan, managing partner at the trade publication Airline Weekly.

One of the world’s largest airline interior manufacturers, France-based Zodiac Aerospace, unveiled a set of three seats with one passenger facing forward, one facing backward and another facing forward. The seat bottoms also flip up, like the seats at a ball park, to let passengers board and exit faster.

It’s a concept strictly for short-haul flights. The response from airlines at the expo?  “Very interested,” said Pierre-Antony Vastra, an executive vice president at Zodiac.

The drawbacks: No armrests and the seat bottom cushions are pretty thin.

Another aircraft interior manufacturer, Britain’s Thompson Aero Seating, was promoting an idea called the “cozy suite.” It’s an idea that installs economy seats at an angle, with one slightly behind and to the left of the other, to maximize cabin space. The Cozy Suite also has tilt-up seat bottoms.

But the biggest buzz at the expo was over a small French company called Expliseat, which has developed a seat made of lightweight titanium and composite materials. It weighs about 8.8 pounds, compared with newer economy seats that weigh about 24 pounds.

The company promises to save airlines up to $500,000 a year in fuel costs for the average Airbus 320 or Boeing 737 planes. On April 1, the seat won approval by the European Aviation Safety Agency for use on European aircraft.

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EU adopts new noise regulation for European airports

The European Parliament has adopted a new regulation on the establishment of rules and procedures with regard to the introduction of noise-related operating restrictions at European airports. Airlines and airports welcomed the clarification and harmonisation of the methodology, which will need to be followed prior to the introduction of any new noise mitigating measures. Without undermining the decision-making power of local authorities, the new legislation will require the adoption of new measures to be preceded by a comprehensive noise assessment. 

The regulation is in line with the ‘balanced approach’, an international policy endorsed by all member states of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).  As part of the agreement, nearby residents should be kept better informed of restrictions and noise-related health problems should be given more consideration. Potential effects on the economy and impact on the capacity of air transport in Europe will also be taken into account.

ACI Europe, director general, Olivier Jankovec, explains today’s result is ‘welcome news’.

“Thanks to the strengthened application of ICAO’s ‘balanced approach’ at the initiative of the European Commission, the assessment of operating restrictions will now become more transparent and robust.

“Once in place, this new regulation should not only open up better lines of communication between the EU and national authorities dealing with this issue, it will also help reinforce dialogue between all the different stakeholders involved," Jankovec adds.

A joint statement was issued by Jankovec with Athar Husain Khan, CEO of the Association of European Airlines (AEA).

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Etihad increases presence in Mediterranean with holiday season flights

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has announced it will boost frequency and capacity to Athens and Larnaca, adding depth to its expanding network, while enhancing connectivity over its Abu Dhabi hub.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways chief commercial officer, said: “These increases in frequency and capacity demonstrate our commitment to build a global, connected network.

“In the case of Athens, our new flights will offer guests the choice of two different departure times to and from Abu Dhabi, and in the case of Larnaca, the additional flights will provide more choice and flexibility, as well as better connectivity over Abu Dhabi.

“The additional services will also support the growth of business and leisure traffic over Abu Dhabi, and offer travellers greater choice of destinations across the Gulf region, Indian Sub-continent, Asia and Australia.

“It also means that by July 2014, nearly 90 per cent of Etihad Airways’ global passenger network will be served by a daily flight.”

From July 2nd 2014, Etihad Airways will increase frequency on the Abu Dhabi-Athens route from seven to ten flights per week with the introduction of three new flights, which will provide passengers travelling to and from Athens with more choice and greater flexibility.

The new flights will also provide additional connecting opportunities with codeshare partner Aegean Airlines, which has separately announced that it will be commencing a direct service between Athens and Abu Dhabi from May 28th 2014. Beyond Athens, Etihad Airways places its EY flight code on Aegean-operated flights to 16 destinations in Greece including popular islands such as Crete, Rhodes and Santorini, and to Larnaca, Madrid and Sofia in Europe. 

Aegean Airlines places its A3 flight code on Etihad Airways beyond Abu Dhabi to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Bahrain, Kuwait and Johannesburg. The new flights will enable Etihad Airways to place its flight code on Aegean-operated flights beyond Athens to Barcelona, subject to regulatory approval. In addition, between June 1st and September 30th, Etihad Airways’ daily EY090/EY091 flights will be upgraded from the current 174-seat Airbus A321 operation to a 254-seat Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

Flying 18 guests in the award-winning Pearl Business Class and 236 guests in Coral Economy Class, the larger aircraft is being deployed on the route to meet the expected increase in summer traffic. Etihad Airways will also increase its base frequency on the Abu Dhabi-Larnaca route from three to five flights per week. Etihad will also operate Larnaca as a daily service during the peak summer period from July 1st to September 30th 2014. All services to and from Larnaca will be operated by a two-class Airbus A320 aircraft configured to carry 16 guests in Pearl Business Class and 120 in Coral Economy Class.

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