Delta unveiled a new seat prototype aimed at helping wheelchair users and others with reduced mobility on flights.
The Delta Flight Products team debuted the design at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, this week, and it was met by enthusiasm from potential customers.
The seat has a traditional mode that serves as a typical airplane seat and a conversion mode that allows wheelchair users to stay in their chair throughout a flight. Switching between the two takes around 90 seconds as the built-in seat folds up, allowing a wheelchair to dock in place.
Passengers have access to many of the same seat amenities in either mode, along with the same aesthetic design of the seat itself. The headrest, center console tray table and cocktail table are still available once the traditional seat is folded up.
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The design would be constructed into airlines’ pre-existing seats, meaning the plane’s structure would remain unchanged.
Along with in-flight comfort, the seat would make for an easier boarding and disembarking process for those with reduced mobility, particularly those who use electronic wheelchairs and would require less reliance on airline staff and airport-owned, manual chairs.
“This patented design offers new possibilities for customers with disabilities to enjoy a travel experience they truly deserve,” Delta Flight Products president Rick Salanitri said in a press release.
Delta Flight Products partnered with Air4All, a consortium based in the United Kingdom, for the design.
“An innovation like this in air travel provides those with reduced mobility a safe and comfortable way for them to travel and remain in their own power wheelchair,” said Chris Wood, founder of Flying Disabled, an advocacy group within Air4All. “It has taken truly a collaborative effort to develop this seat and we believe this product provides an optimal solution for all parties.”
Delta Flight Products hopes to get the design into commercial use within 18 months if it passes testing and is brought in by airlines. Delta Flight Products is a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, so it could conceivably be adopted by other airlines first.
