Zephyr Aerospace is finding an affordable ‘middle-ground’ between economy and business-class seating, by utilising the third-dimension of the aircraft.

Ensuring the privacy, comfort and affordability of the airline seat, Zephyr has removed overhead bin space and replaced it with another seat. “This is a better utilisation of space, with no loss of seats for the airlines,” explained Jeffrey O’Neill, Founder of Zephyr Aerospace. “A very standard configuration on premium economy is 242, and we maintain the same with 121 with two levels of seating. Instead of having an overhead area for storage, there is a bulkhead section where you would slide a very large roller-board bag.”

And when asked about the origins of this idea, O’Neill replied: “I was on the longest flight in the world, which was Singapore Airlines from New York to Singapore in premium economy class. About 7 hours into the flight, there was still 12 hours left, I could not sleep, I could not control my body in any way or form of comfort.”

Common sense solution for a common problem

“I realised why can’t we do something better, why can’t this space be better utilised. This is a very common-sense solution for a common problem. Airlines have started to warm up to it, knowing that their customers have stated that they want this privacy has become the new premium.”

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