Business-class fliers love sliding doors — but they’re causing a nuisance for airlines and planemakers
Airlines are struggling to certify complex new business-class seats featuring sliding doors due to strict aviation safety regulations regarding emergency evacuations. These certification delays have forced carriers to lock doors open or restrict seat usage on new aircraft, impacting the premium travel experience.
Why it matters
The conflict between luxury passenger amenities and aviation safety standards highlights the operational challenges airlines face in balancing high-end product differentiation with regulatory compliance.
The Polaris suites in a United Airlines Boeing 787. Courtesy of United Airlines The rise in premium travel is causing frustrations for airlines and manufacturers. Fancy new business-class seats need to go through rigorous certification testing. Airplanes have been stuck at factories or flown with empty business class cabins. More travelers are shelling out for the best airplane seats amid a boom in premium travel , driving airlines to develop increasingly complex business-class seats — some of which are proving to be a headache for carriers and manufacturers alike. Since COVID-19, airlines have been packing their planes with fancy new cabins as they try to attract more deep-pocketed customers. In April, United Airlines rolled out an airplane with 64 business-class seats. Delta Air Lines plans to debut its Airbus A350-1000 next year with 53 business-class suites. But new seat designs must undergo rigorous certification by aviation regulators.
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