• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Airbus Group

Here’s Airbus’ Plan to Seat Obese Flyers

Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 23, 2016, 2:41 PM ET
Airbus Group SE A350-900 Tour Arrives At Newark Liberty Airport
Entertainment screens operate on economy class seats in an Airbus Group SE A350 XWB jet during a media tour at Newark Liberty Airport in Newark, New Jersey, U.S., on Thursday, July 16, 2015. Airbus had 781 confirmed orders for the A350 XWB jet at the end of June, according to Air Transport World. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPhotograph by Michael Nagle—Bloomberg Bloomberg via Getty Images

The days of cramped flights soon may be over for overweight travelers.

Airbus Group has filed a patent application earlier this month for a new seating design, one that could relieve the aches and groans of squished globetrotters. The plan would replace airplanes seats with a “reconfigurable passenger bench.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

The advantage to benches is that they could accommodate passengers of various sizes. Obese flyers, small children, or extra passengers might all fit together in a row, for example.

As the applications details, the bench could be used “for occupation by passengers who require increased space,” including overweight passengers and those with restricted mobility. The bench could also accommodate expanded capacity, such as seating three passengers or families with small children (two adults and two small children, say).

As so, as found in the patent application:

Plenty of room.
Screenshot of Airbus patent application

Airlines seats have shrunk several inches over the past few decades. At the same time, obesity rates in America have been on the rise. The combination has made for an uncomfortable trend on flights: cramming more mass into less space.

For more on airlines, watch:

Then again, airlines could just make the regular seats bigger.

About the Author
Robert Hackett
By Robert Hackett
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump may have shot himself in the foot at the Fed, as Powell could stay on while Miran resigns from White House post
By Eleanor PringleFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Tech stocks go into free fall as it dawns on traders that AI has the ability to cut revenues across the board
By Jim EdwardsFebruary 4, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Peter Thiel warns the Antichrist and apocalypse are linked to the ‘end of modernity’ currently happening—and cites Greta Thunberg as a driving example
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 4, 2026
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
After decades in the music industry, Pharrell Williams admits he never stops working: ‘If you do what you love everyday, you’ll get paid for free'
By Emma BurleighFebruary 3, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
In 2026, many employers are ditching merit-based pay bumps in favor of ‘peanut butter raises’
By Emma BurleighFebruary 2, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Commentary
I've studied nonviolent resistance in war zones for 20 years and Minnesota reminds me of Colombia, the Philippines and Syria
By Oliver Kaplan and The ConversationFebruary 3, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in

Palmer Luckey,
SuccessCareers
Forget a degree—$30 billion defense startup Anduril will fast-track your job application if you can win its AI drone flying contest
By Preston ForeFebruary 5, 2026
14 minutes ago
desantis
CommentaryLeadership
Understanding corporate leaders’ muted Minnesota response: the example of Disney, Florida and conservative retaliation
By Alessandro Piazza and The ConversationFebruary 5, 2026
14 minutes ago
Nestlé CEO Philipp Navratil
Successchief executive officer (CEO)
Nestlé’s CEO drinks 8 coffees a day, but says Gen Z staffers keep him sharp: ‘When you stop learning, then it is the moment to move on to another job’
By Emma BurleighFebruary 5, 2026
22 minutes ago
Pam Bondi speaks at a podium.
LawCrime
Cartels turn to crypto in game of finance whack-a-mole with DOJ
By Alanna Durkin Richer and The Associated PressFebruary 5, 2026
23 minutes ago
Altman throws a peace sign as he drives a golf cart.
C-SuiteSam Altman
OpenAI’s Sam Altman says his highly disciplined daily routine has ‘fallen to crap’—and now unwinds on weekends at a farm with no cell phone service
By Jacqueline MunisFebruary 5, 2026
50 minutes ago
lewis, lee
InvestingMarkets
Michael Lewis and Tom Lee hold court on the $1 trillion software-stock carnage: ‘I think fear is not a bad thing to be long right now’
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 5, 2026
1 hour ago