Canadian company's wide seat plane takes off in the UK for Delta and Swiss Air
Middle seats on Bombardier's new planes offer nearly two inches more room than on similar-sized planes
A new jetliner with wider passenger seats is wowing airplane fans at the Farnborough Airshow in the U.K. this week.
A Bombardier C-Series CS-100, operated by Swiss Air, is taking to the skies for a demonstration flight at the annual aerospace showcase.
According to Bombardier, the window and aisle seats in the plane are 18.5 inches (47cm) wide, while the middle seat is 19 inches wide, offering nearly 2 inches more room than found on similar-sized planes built by Boeing and Airbus.
Alain Bellemare, CEO of Bombardier, says the concept of a 3-plus-2 seat aisle was about improved customer experience.
"We wanted people to feel good about flying the aircraft. The concept was to provide a bit more room for people in the middle seat and the good news is we only have one middle seat," he says.
Bellemare also believes the wider aisle layout will allow for quicker embarking and disembarking of passengers.
The CS-100, which can fly between 108 to 133 passengers, also comes equipped with taller lavatories than typically found on commercial jet liners.