The new seat will be installed from 2028 on hundreds of easyJet’s new aircraft, providing an extra two inches of improved knee and shin clearance
The new measure will be introduced in a few years(Image: PA)
As budget airlines attempt to cram more and more passengers onto flights, it can feel as if the seat in front edges slightly closer each time you board a plane.
However, a “next generation” economy seat is on the horizon, which its creators claim will provide travellers with additional legroom without compromising space for airlines.
The Kestrel seat from Mirus Aircraft Seating, a British manufacturer, will be fitted from 2028 on hundreds of easyJet’s new aircraft, delivering an extra two inches of “improved knee and shin clearance” for passengers. It will enable easyJet to provide more legroom than most of its short-haul budget rivals.
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The seat reshapes a passenger’s back, enabling their hips and spine to sit further back on the cushion so their knees and legs gain additional space at the front.
The back is constructed from carbon fibre rather than the traditional moulded plastic, producing a slimmer seat that provides crucial extra inches for the person behind.
A “fixed recline” of 22 degrees naturally shifts the passenger to the most efficient position in the seat, Mirus claims. Customers cannot manually recline the seat to annoy the passenger behind them.
A standard easyJet seat typically provides between 28 and 29 inches of room, meaning anyone who is six foot or taller will touch the seat in front with their knees. Some airlines on longer haul economy flights offer up to 34 inches of space.
“We’ve always had very comfortable leg room in easyJet,” said Kenton Jarvis, the airline’s chief executive. “This product is exceptionally comfortable, exceptionally light and allows a configuration that creates more space for the customer in the cabin.”
He explained easyJet wouldn’t be retrofitting any of its estimated 350 aircraft, stating: “There’s an expense to ripping off perfectly good seats and putting in and buying new ones.” The seats will instead appear in new orders of the Airbus A320neo and A321neo from 2028.
Research conducted this year by consumer group Which identified the short-haul carriers offering the tightest economy-class seat layout, or pitch, as Jet2, KLM, Lufthansa, Ryanair, SAS, TAP Air Portugal, Vueling and Wizz Air. All featured at least some seats with a 28-inch pitch.
The group noted that seat comfort also hinged on quality factors such as padding. By that measure, easyJet’s current seats achieved two out of five.
David Morgan, easyJet’s chief operating officer, commented: “We are delighted to be introducing the Mirus Kestrel seat across our future fleet.
“On top of the sustainability benefits, the additional legroom and enhanced comfort these seats will provide will also deliver an improved onboard experience for our customers, which we know they’ll love.”
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