As rules around social distancing become the norm, many are wondering how they can be upheld in tightly packed planes. A French engineer has come up with a concept that could help people keep their distance once we’re back in the air.
Florian Barjot has created the ‘PlanBay. It is a plexiglass/polycarbonate that can be strapped onto the middle economy seat to make a barrier and enforce distance between the passengers on either side.
This device was created to find a quick, easy to install solution that would not jeopardise any safety standards needed on an airplane.
‘The idea of a removable kit makes sense when the need for sanitary measures is temporary and/or limited to a geographic area,’ Barjot told Lonely Planet.
PlanBay also features a protection panel that increases the height of the seats between rows, effectively adding a higher barrier for passengers seated behind the seat triple.
This barrier is not meant to fully protect people from spreading the virus, but is hoped to help lessen the ability of people to contaminate each other.
Image: Florian Barjot/EarthBay