Summary
- A Delta Air Lines subsidiary is introducing an economy version of its wheelchair-accessible seats.
- Each seats will be adapted to accommodate wheelchair users without taking away other seats.
- Accessible lavatories with unique features like touchless controls and customised lighting are being designed for optimum privacy.
One yr after debuting a top quality seat option that lets passengers remain of their wheelchairs during flights, a Delta Air Lines subsidiary is introducing an economy version of the seat alongside an accessible lavatory that matches an onboard wheelchair and as much as two attendants.
The very best of each worlds
The announcement comes because the airline industry prepares for next week’s annual Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg, Germany. Delta Flight Products and AirforAll (a gaggle comprised of PriestmanGoode, Flying Disabled, SWS Certification, and Sunrise Medical) collaborated on the 2 seats, which may operate traditionally or fold as much as make room for wheelchairs.
![A render of the PriestmanGoode Hero Wheelchair seat concept.](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/pg_air4all_hero_wheelchair-_3_2.jpg)
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The newest seat from the group has been designed for an economy class cabin. It offers the identical comforts and safety because the top quality version and doesn’t take away seats onboard when installed in the primary row of an aircraft. Daniel MacInnes, Director at PriestmanGoode, noted how the corporate had been listening to feedback from the community in designing the brand new product:
“Since AIX last yr it’s been an exciting few months of collaboration and refinement of the design – and constant engagement with the wheelchair user community. We’ve listened and this yr we’re leading the best way with a family of seat products and other solutions, all a part of a holistic view of the journey and an experience that’s inclusive for all.”
Airlines have been taking steps in recent months to make sure that travel is accessible to more passengers. They’ve also rolled out tools to assist passengers find aircraft that may accommodate larger wheelchairs. In accordance with US Department of Transportation data, 25.5 million Americans have travel-limiting disabilities.
Following up on the top quality seats
The unique design for domestic first and business class cabin seats has been upgraded since its debut last yr at AIX. In accordance with the designer, the team has worked with passengers with reduced mobility and extra stakeholders to assemble feedback over the past nine months.
The seats notably provide access to the headrest, center console tray tables, and cocktail tables in each configurations, a security feature that will probably be crucial for future certification. Chris Wood, Founding father of Flying Disabled, noted how pioneering the answer was on the time:
“An innovation like this in air travel provides those with reduced mobility a protected and comfy way for them to travel and remain in their very own power wheelchair.
“It has taken truly a collaborative effort to develop this seat and we consider this product provides an optimal solution for all parties.”
Accessible seats will not be the one thing the PriestmanGoode team is displaying this month; a brand new lavatory concept can be within the works.
Creating more accessible lavatories
Lack of space, especially in regional jets and narrowbody planes, has often constrained the accessibility of airport bathrooms. Next week, Delta Flight Products (DFP) will debut an accessible forward lavatory with a “unique door opening” to maximise privacy. In accordance with the corporate, the rest room will probably be positioned near the boarding door and incorporate a hard and fast panel that will be unlatched to accommodate the entry of an onboard wheelchair while providing maximum privacy from the aircraft cabins.
The lavatories feature touchless controls designed to permit a passenger with reduced mobility access to the sink directly from the bathroom before transferring back to the wheelchair. The lighting in the rest room can be being customized to support individuals with low vision or color sensitivity. In accordance with DFP, future improvements may include a “smart mirror” to shut caption overhead announcements and display tactile symbols. Rick Salanitri, President of Delta Flight Products, commented on how vital these advancements are:
“DFP’s involvement within the PRM seats and accessible lavatory is key to our goal of all the time working towards improving the passenger experience. We sit up for seeing these products through their testing and certification phases, which is able to prepare them for aircraft identification & installation, leading to a more seamless travel journey for the PRM community.”
This latest offering follows a design by Singaporean company ST Engineering for an accessible lavatory for Airbus A320 aircraft, which seeks to make air travel more inclusive.