AussieJasmine
Intern
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2021
- Posts
- 54
Cebu’s 459-seater A330neo: density beyond “greige”
When Cebu Pacific announced at the 2019 Paris Air Show how many seats it was putting on its Airbus A330neo, there were gasps of shock. 460 were planned, and now 459 Recaro slimlines have been unveiled on board the -900neo aircraft in Manila. The interior is bright and well-considered.
There’s no getting away from the fact that this is an incredibly dense aircraft, of course, perhaps the most dense flying anywhere in the world. Nine-abreast seating on the A330neo cabin — like the A330ceo, A310 and A300 before it — is used exclusively by low-cost, charter and discount leisure carriers, and it’s clear these seats are narrow. That is, after all, how Cebu and other LCCs democratise air travel.
The article has a link to a youtube video showing off the cabin in all it's ludicrous-mode dense glory. I do like the decor, but those seats are *super* narrow, and apparently "pre-reclined". Given these are going to be used for Cebu's longer routes (inc. MEL and SYD), you'll need to be lithe to survive. Reminds me very much of Air Caribes 3-4-3 A350s :/ Much as reducing the cost of travel is undeniably "A Good Thing", I do feel we are getting to the point where regulation is needed to ensure seats are fit for purpose, and passengers get a realistic amount of usable space on longer flights. What might be acceptable and tolerable for a 2-3-hour short hop doesn't necessarily hold up for 8+ hour routes.