Airbus is reportedly pushing a 10-seat abreast configuration for economy class cabins in its A350s, marking a change of attitude for the company which has previously touted its wider seats as a selling point.
While the manufacturer has offered the design for its planes for years, reports from Aircraft Interiors Expo 2024 show that it has begun pushing it to all customers, instead of just low-cost airlines.
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The push brings Airbus in line with Boeing which has a 10-seat configuration as standard for its 777 aircraft, though the US manufacturer’s wide-body model has a slightly wider cabin than the A350, at 5.87m compared to 5.61m, allowing for slightly bigger seats.
According to paxex.aero, aircraft interiors manufacturer Safran Seats said that Airbus had been “heavily pushing suppliers” to provide a 10-seat interior option, with seats 17” wide, despite a seeming lack of interest from its airline customers.
This is despite Airbus’ previous reputation for pushing an 18” seat on its long-haul planes as better for passenger comfort, with a 2013 marketing campaign claiming that the wider seat improved sleep quality by 53% compared to the 17” alternative.
While 17” is the rough average for airplane seats, long-haul flights have historically featured slightly wider offerings to account for the extra time spent in them, though Airbus’ narrowbody A220 offers configurations with seats almost 19” wide.
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By GlobalDataHowever, a Forbes report from 2023 found that widebody aircraft, including the 787, 767 and A330 models, had seen a shift in economy cabin configurations to include more seats, with 17” the narrowest option.
Airport Technology approached Airbus at ILA Berlin but they refused to comment.
