Airbus includes seat densification under airline productivity improvement along with more frequent flights with the same planes. Entitled “Formulating the Future” the new Airbus forecast – which serves as a reference for airlines, airports, investors, governments, non-government agencies and others – anticipates that air traffic will grow at 4.6 per cent annually, requiring some 32,600 new passenger and dedicated freighter aircraft at a value of US$4.9 trillion.
Airplane productivity is described as more seats offered per aircraft and more of those seats being sold. For passengers this translates to smaller, denser seats in more crowded airplanes.
Seat densification will happen, it is just a matter of how they choose to do it and that the passengers continue to go for cheaper but denser seating.
Many websites are bemoaning the following airplane seating designs or say that one of the densification designs is only a patent. Airplane seat densification has been happening for fifty years and all of the twenty year plans say how they plan to continue to boost density by about 20%. The only way that this gets a lot more comfortable is with Doctor Who Gallifrey technology.
Tardis is bigger on the inside, and the better way to fly in many ways
The plan would raise up the three seats near the window on each side of the plane by a few inches, which allows a fifth seat in the middle section of the plane.
Here’s the @Airbus 11-abreast A380 cabin mock up. 3-5-3 config. Yup, it’s coming. #PaxEx pic.twitter.com/yeZ0dvYDNI
— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) April 14, 2015
The problem with the 3-5-3 A380 layout, as demonstrated by @AirlineFlyer. #paxex #AIX15 pic.twitter.com/iXkvbKpGM2
— John Walton (@thatjohn) April 14, 2015
Economy Class Cabin Hexagon is a patent for a denser seating configuration
Zodiac Seats France, an industry supplier, has patented a new seating configuration that rips out the middle seat in favor of one that faces the rear. With “Economy Class Cabin Hexagon,” you get more neighbors than ever before—and they are right in your face.
The goal of the design is “to increase cabin density while also creating seat units that increase the space available at the shoulder and arm area.”
The middle and aisle seats fold up like movie theater seats when you are not sitting in them.
Here is a mockup of the Zodiac seats

Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.