Airline seat that slides makes debut at expo

An airline seat that shifts to make boarding easier sounds like a crazy idea, but don’t be surprised to find it on your next flight.

The “side-slip seat” is a concept by Malon Labe Designs, a Denver-based airline interior company that introduced the idea to airlines and manufacturers last week at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany. The president of the company said the seat design was a big hit.

Here’s how it works: Imagine a row of three seats on a plane. The seat along the aisle will slide up and over the middle seat to widen the aisle and speed up the loading of passengers. Once the passengers are ready to sit down, the aisle seat can slide and lock back into place.

Once the seat is certified for use by the U.S. Department of Transportation and ready for production, don’t be surprised if several low-cost airlines order and install the seats, Malon Labe founder Hank Scott said after the expo.

“I can honestly say now that this seat, flying with short-haul and low-cost carriers, is not a matter of if but when,” he said.

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