Over the past decade, low-cost travel has increased significantly, and it is difficult to find a cheaper option than Ryanair, which is known for offering flights for as little as €7.99, according to Euronews.

However, in recent days, posts have appeared on social media claiming that the Irish airline will soon offer an even cheaper option: “standing room only” seats.

These seats will resemble vertically mounted bicycle seats that allow passengers to lean back instead of sitting completely upright.

Passengers will be in a semi-upright position, supported by a narrow seat with a pad that includes a backrest to stabilize the passenger's posture.

Additional safety features typically shown in mock-ups of these designs include safety belts or straps designed to secure passengers during takeoff, landing, and turbulence, as well as vertical posts connecting each row to the aircraft ceiling for added stability.

This is a very compact solution that allows airlines to carry more passengers in the cabin on short flights.

Several travel media outlets and social media posts claimed that Italian manufacturer Aviointeriors would supply these seats to Ryanair, which would then begin offering them as an option on flights as early as 2026.

However, the company confirmed that “there are no such plans.”

Meanwhile, official representatives of Aviointeriors confirmed that Skyrider, the standing seat model often mentioned in these claims, “is actually a conceptual prototype from 2012” and “is not part of the official range” of their products.

However, the origin of these widely circulated claims can actually be traced back to previous statements by Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary, who is known for his unconventional ideas on cost reduction.

Back in 2010, O'Leary discussed the theoretical concept of “standing seats” to maximize space on planes and offer extremely low ticket prices. In 2009, he also proposed the idea of pay-per-use toilets on board, as well as an “obesity tax” that would impose additional charges on overweight passengers.

However, these ideas were dismissed as jokes or attention-grabbing tactics and were never officially developed.

Could standing seats work?
Although no airline has yet confirmed the use of these standing seats, the concept could, in principle, be applicable on very short distances.

The standing seats designed by Aviointeriors have already undergone preliminary safety tests and have shown that they can withstand the conditions of an emergency landing and the rapid evacuation requirements imposed by aviation regulators.

These tests show that, from a purely safety point of view, it would be possible to comply with the strict standards set by agencies such as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

The main issue facing airlines and manufacturers is actually passenger comfort. Even on short flights, the semi-upright position that passengers would adopt in these saddle-type seats raises concerns about discomfort, fatigue, and circulation problems.

Similarly, airlines are already facing criticism for reduced legroom and cramped conditions. The introduction of standing seats would provoke a significant negative reaction: although studies show that a small niche of passengers on a very limited budget would accept standing seats if ticket prices were extremely low, widespread public acceptance would probably be difficult and would limit the commercial viability of airlines. |BGNES