Ryanair proposes standing room

[Pedota]

Now this adds a new dimension to 'economy class' . . . but it looks like Ryanair is seriously investigating the possibility.

Ryanair proposes standing room; announces Porto base
Tuesday July 7, 2009
Airline Transport World

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary found himself in the headlines again yesterday after telling Sky News "We might take out the last five or six rows [of seats] and say to passengers, 'Do you want to stand up? If you do, you can travel for free'."

O'Leary said he has asked Boeing to look at converting or producing aircraft with "vertical seating" and asked, "Why is this any different to what happens on trains where you see thousands of people who cannot get a seat standing in the aisles?"

A spokesperson confirmed to Agence France Presse that Ryanair and Boeing are in discussions "in relation to adapting the aircraft to allow people to travel in vertical seating." They "wouldn't be fully standing. They would have something like a stool to lean on or to sit on." The same spokesperson told the Daily Mail, "It's really early days but we're looking at a 20%-30% increase in passengers on commuter routes."

Ryanair has not yet sought approval from aviation authorities. It credited Shanghai-based LCC Spring Airlines for the idea. A Spring spokesperson reportedly told China Central Television that it plans to submit its plan to regulators this year and that "it's just like bar stools. The safety belt is the most important thing. It will still be fastened around the waist." Spring President Wang Zhenghua said the country's Vice Premier, Zhang Dejiang, "suggested that for a lower price, passengers should be able to get on a plane like catching a bus, with no seat, no luggage consignment, no food, no water, but very convenient."

Separately, Ryanair last week announced it will open its 33rd base at Porto in September with two based aircraft and new service to Basel, Eindhoven, St. Etienne and Tours. It currently serves 12 destinations from the airport and will offer 50 weekly flights this fall. It expects to carry 1.5 million passengers through OPO per year. It also added a third and fourth 737-800 to its Bristol base and launched 11 new routes Friday. New destinations comprise Limoges, Toulon, Montpellier and Perpignan, Trieste, Rimini, Cagliari, Malta, Alicante, Barcelona Reus and Seville.

The LCC carried 5.8 million passengers in June, up 13% from the year-ago month. Load factor rose 1 point to 82%.

[powerstall]

afterwards, they'll be proposing to use cargo configured aircrafts for pax flights.. Everybody Stands up. :ouch:

[Skybus_319]

O'Leary found himself in the headlines again yesterdayWOW!

Of course its never going to happen, one week its pay-to-loo, then its smoking onboard and this week we must be up to Standing room only on his list. I presume next week PR' stunt is something along the lines of pax doing baggage loading..or have we seen that one?:suspect:

The media seem to bite at every word he says....:rolleyes:

[DutchRoll]

You know, this has to be by far the most insane piece of morbid stupidity to ever dribble out of an airline executive's mouth (and there is stiff competition for that prize, I admit).

I just can't wait to see the effects of the first moderate to severe CAT encounter with pax standing upright, belted in or not.

JQ will want to try it out as soon as possible.

[Wanderin_dave]

In other news - Michael O'leary comes up with another ridiculous, impossible to implement idea just to grab free publicity and the whole media world falls for it. YET AGAIN!!! :ugh:

Of course this isn't going to happen, think about it for just 1 second and tell me you thik it will. (hint think safety)

[Wod]

I think it will work. There will be a market for it on shorthaul, minimum baggage routes.

After all, they're providing beds on longhaul, premium classes.

No difference in priciple. If there is a market, try to satisfy it.

The design challenges are obvious, but by no means insoluble. Pick up your bungy cord at the door and clip on to the drinks counter you intend to lean upon.

[zube]

This dude is trying to out do Branson for free publicity. The media lap it up.

[Unregistered User]

Imagine presenting your case to the bods at CASA; I'd say it will go down like a turd in a punchbowl:}

[D-J]

well if you keep in mind that all over the world there are skydive aircraft operating with out seats..... sure their generally sitting on their buts but the principle is similar, put pax in a harness sign a waiver (in theory there should be such a thing as informed consent, where by pax being informed of risks & then accepting those risk loose right to sue unless someone is negligent (i'll keep taking those happy pills shall I..)) & clip in to a restraint on boarding the a/c

simple really :}

[powerstall]

would this work?
:E
http://www.hightechscience.org/Buran_Space_Shuttle_Comparsion_1.gif

[snoop doggy dog]

http://www.pprune.org/fragrant-harbour/379595-passengers-stand-upright-flight.html :p

[Cypher]

Might be better if they lie down, then we can stack em 4 high.... I can just see an unrestrainted standing punter doing his best superman impersonation over the seated pax as the 200 hr cadet pilot does their best to shove the landing gear through the wing spar and crater the runway.....

[ampan]

Anyone tried to book a cheap flight on the Ryannair website recently? You troll through, thinking you're getting a good price, and, then, right at the end, you're flooded with extra charges that turn a good price into a very average one. Give me EasyJet any day.

[Massey1Bravo]

You won't see a standing seat on a Ryanair flight anytime soon, there are big problems with emergency exits and proper restraints.

However I can see it happen in China with Spring Airlines, where regulations are much more relaxed. If they manage to make it successful then every other LCC in the world will lobby the regulators for them.