New Delta Seat Design Promises to Transform Air Travel for Wheelchair Users

This week, Delta Flight Products, a division of Delta Air Lines, introduced an innovative airplane seat that allows passengers who use a wheelchair to bring their wheelchair onboard and remain seated in it throughout the flight.

The prototype for this groundbreaking seat was developed in collaboration with U.K.-based Air4All, specialists in accessible aircraft seating, and was revealed at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany.

The patented design allows airlines to maintain their existing seat configurations by adapting a standard passenger seat to securely accommodate a wheelchair restraint. It also offers wheelchair-using passengers access to a headrest and an adjustable center console tray table once the wheelchair is positioned.

“Commercial aviation is the only transportation mode lacking regulations that enable power wheelchair users to travel safely and with dignity while seated in their own chair within an aircraft cabin,” states Air4All on its website.

Currently, wheelchair users face a demanding balancing act to navigate through the airport and reach their airplane seats. After checking in their wheelchairs, they are transported to the gate using an airline-provided wheelchair service, and then transferred to their seats, where those fully dependent on their wheelchairs must remain throughout the flight.

Moreover, there’s no assurance that their wheelchair will arrive at their destination in one piece. In 2022, U.S. airlines mishandled 11,389 wheelchairs and scooters, as reported by the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection in the latest Air Travel Consumer Report, published in February 2023.

The heart of the issue lies in the fact that passengers cannot use their personal wheelchairs as seats on airplanes, a privilege they have on other public transport like trains and buses.

Air4All indicates that airlines have been hesitant to allocate space for wheelchairs due to the loss of seat availability when that space isn’t occupied by wheelchair users. However, the Air4All prototype addresses this by transforming a standard passenger seat into one that accommodates a wheelchair. These wheelchair-accessible seats would also simplify the boarding and disembarking process for passengers with limited mobility by removing the need to transfer from their wheelchair to a conventional seat.

A September 2021 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine revealed that most U.S. passenger planes can, in fact, be configured to secure wheelchairs, enabling travelers to remain seated in their own wheelchairs while in flight.

“Equipping airplanes with wheelchair securement systems presents a naturally appealing solution to many of the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and those who are nonambulatory when flying,” remarked Alan Jette, emeritus professor and dean at Boston University’s Sargent College, who chaired the committee responsible for the report titled “Technical Feasibility of a Wheelchair Securement Concept for Airline Travel: A Preliminary Assessment.”

In 2022, airlines transported 741,582 wheelchairs or scooters. “However, it’s difficult to estimate how many wheelchair users opted out of flying, or how many would choose to fly if wheelchair securement systems were accessible,” the report noted.

The report recommends that airlines consider allocating space at the front of the cabin for wheelchair securement systems, like the one being showcased this week by Delta Flight Products and Air4All at the Aircraft Interiors Expo. This annual event, taking place from June 6–8, 2023, highlights innovative aircraft cabin concepts. Following the expo, the new wheelchair-accessible seat will proceed to final design modifications, testing, and certification.

“This product is still in its early development phases, with about 18 months of work and evaluations ahead, but Delta will closely monitor the advancement of this concept led by our subsidiary, as we continuously seek ways to enhance the travel experience for all customers,” a Delta representative informed Dinogo.

According to Delta, the Delta Flight Products division was established “to rethink aircraft interiors.” Alongside exploring new and innovative approaches to cabin design, in-flight technology, furnishings, and food and beverage services, Delta Flight Products is also “involved in a variety of initiatives to enhance air travel accessibility,” including collaboration with a long-standing advisory board on disability matters.