A company takes out a patent to protect its idea. It doesn't imply that (in this case) Airbus intends to offer such seating to its customers, but if at some stage an airline proposes something similar Airbus can charge royalties for the use of their patented invention.
Patents can be a means of preventing someone using an invention - conspiracy theorists will tell you that the oil companies have bought patents for all sorts of fuel-saving inventions, so that sales of petrol etc. don't slump...