All seats on Bombardier’s CS100 passenger jet will be considerably wider than what’s on offer on Boeing and Airbus planes. Photo / Bombardier
All seats on Bombardier’s CS100 passenger jet will be considerably wider than what’s on offer on Boeing and Airbus planes. Photo / Bombardier
A new passenger plane designed especially for heavier-set travellers will be unveiled to the world this week, giving hope to millions of flyers who struggle to fit in standard aircraft seats.
Canadian manufacturer Bombardier will show off its new CS100 plane in a demonstration flight at this week's Farnborough InternationalAirshow in England.
The most remarkable feature of the new plane is the generous size of its middle seats, which will be 48cm wide - considerably wider than what's offered on rival aircraft such as the Boeing 737 (44cm) and Airbus A319 (45.7cm).
A Swiss Air CS100. Photo / Bombardier
The window and aisle seats will also be larger than the average seat, measuring in at 47cm.
And that's not all. The game-changing jet will also have wider aisles, bigger luggage bins, and the "largest windows in the single-aisle (aircraft) market".
"Together these attributes create a widebody feel that offers passengers an unparalleled level of comfort," Bombardier said in a statement.
The CS100, which is part of Bombardier's C Series aircraft, will accommodate about 100 to 150 passengers.
As seemingly shrinking aircraft seats continues to be a major gripe for passengers, Bombardier's vice president of commercial operations Ross Mitchell said the plane was developed in response to requests by airlines for a more comfortable flying experience.
The pilots are in for a better experience too, Bombardier says. Photo / Bombardier
"We went to airlines and asked them what the appropriate sizes were. They said 18 to 19 inches (45.7 to 48.2cm) because it gives people more room in the seat," Mr Mitchell told The Guardian.
"Airlines were looking to have an option with more comfort."
Mr Mitchell said he believed close to 7000 aircraft from the C Series will be ordered by airlines over the next 20 years.
The plane also features larger windows. Photo / Bombardier
The first order was delivered to Swiss International Air Lines last month. The 125-seat aircraft will make its maiden commercial flight on from Zurich to Paris' Charles de Gaulle this week, with future flights planned to Manchester, Prague and Budapest, and possibly Warsaw, Brussels, and Nice.
US carrier Delta Air Lines also placed an order for 75 CS100 aircraft this April, with an option to purchase 50 more under a $7.7 billion deal.
The CS100 also claims to be the quietest aircraft in its class and have the lowest fuel consumption, having been made using the "latest, most efficient technology".
Its manufacturer said "smart cockpit design" would reduce pilots' workloads.
The aircraft had its wings designed and developed in Belfast with help from a $323 million investment from the British government.
