Low-budget travel has soared over the past decade, and it is hard to think of a cheaper option than Ryanair, which has been known to offer flights for as little as €7.99. However, recent viral posts have claimed that the Irish airline will soon offer an even cheaper option of “standing seats”.
These ‘seats’ would resemble bicycle saddles mounted vertically, allowing passengers to lean rather than sit fully. Passengers would essentially be in a semi-upright position, supported by a padded, narrow seat resembling a saddle, which includes a backrest to stabilise the passenger’s posture. Additional safety features typically shown in mock-ups of these designs include harness-style seat belts or straps intended to secure passengers during takeoff, landing, and turbulence, along with vertical poles connecting each row to the aircraft ceiling for added stability. It is a very compact arrangement that allows airlines to accommodate more passengers per cabin on short-haul flights.
Several travel-focused outlets and social media posts alleged that Italian manufacturer Aviointeriors was going to provide these seats to Ryanair, which would in turn start offering them as a flight option as soon as 2026. However, the company has confirmed to Euronews that it has “no plans to do so.” Meanwhile, Aviointeriors’ official communications confirmed that the ‘Skyrider’, a standing seat mockup often featured in these claims, “is in fact a conceptual prototype dating back to 2012” and “is not part of the official lineup” of their products.
Still, the origin of these viral claims actually traces back to past statements by Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, who is known for suggesting unconventional cost-cutting ideas. As far back as 2010, O’Leary discussed the theoretical concept of “standing seats” to maximise aeroplane space and offer extremely low fares. He also proposed the idea of pay-per-use onboard toilets in 2009, as well as the ‘fat tax’ that would impose extra charges on overweight passengers. However, these ideas were discussed as jokes or attention-grabbing tactics, and no plans were ever formally drafted.
Could the standing seats work?
Although no airline has yet confirmed the use of these standing seats (despite social media outrage), the theoretical concept could, in principle, be feasible on very short-haul flights.
The standing seats designed by Aviointeriors have already undergone preliminary safety tests, and have shown that they could withstand the emergency landing conditions and rapid evacuation requirements mandated by aviation regulators. These tests suggest that, from a purely safety standpoint, it might be possible to meet the rigorous standards set by agencies like the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
The primary issue airlines and manufacturers face is actually passenger comfort. Even on brief flights, the semi-standing posture passengers would adopt on these saddle-style seats raises concerns about discomfort, fatigue, and circulation problems.
Likewise, airlines already face criticism over shrinking legroom and cramped conditions. Introducing standing seats would generate significant backlash: while surveys indicate a small niche of ultra-budget travellers might embrace standing seats if fares were extremely low, widespread public adoption would likely be challenging, and limit the airline’s commercial viability.
