Flying on top of the plane?

New seat technology could mean that passengers fly on the roof of a plane. Dubbed ‘SkyDeck’, this radical innovation could redefine the window seat.

In an era where airlines are looking to squeeze more bodies inside the plane, Windspeed – the aerospace technology company that created SkyDeck – hopes to add a few to the outside of the plane.

The 360-degree bubble housing two seats would be accessed via an elevator. Passengers would then be able to rotate their seats for an enhanced view of flying at 300,000 feet.

“Current inflight entertainment offerings have not changed much over the decades,” Windspeed told CNN.

“We wanted to come up with a product that would provide a higher level of entertainment to reduce the boredom of long flights.”

The SkyDeck is in its infancy, but it is hoped that such technology could be installed on planes – at a cost of around US$10 million – in the near future. And while it may be the ultimate first-class seat on some airlines, others may offer it on a pay-per-use basis.

Would you book a seat in the SkyDeck? Are you excited about this technology?