EasyJet to introduce new seats that will give passengers two inches more legroom – but there’s a catch

EasyJet passengers are set to get up to two inches of additional legroom following the airline’s announcement of new seat installations – but there’s a catch.

The carrier has placed an order with British manufacturer Mirus for its Kestrel seats, which will be fitted across 237 new aircraft starting in 2028.

Despite the distance between seat rows, known as the pitch, remaining unchanged, EasyJet confirmed the design will create more space. Mirus explained that the seats’ unique shape and reduced thickness allow for this improvement.

By positioning the occupant’s hips and spine further back, the design effectively generates extra legroom. The seats also have what is described as a “fixed recline” of 22 degrees. They cannot be manually reclined.

The use of carbon fibre instead of traditional plastic also contributes to the seats’ slimmer profile, providing more room for the passenger behind.

EasyJet said this also means they will be more than 20% lighter than its current seats, leading to a weight saving of up to 500kg per aircraft.

This is estimated to deliver a fleet-wide annual fuel saving of more than 12,936 tonnes.

David Morgan, easyJet’s chief operating officer, said: “We are delighted to be introducing the Mirus Kestrel seat across our future fleet.

“This investment supports our continued focus on making our operations as efficient as possible, capitalising on small incremental gains that result in meaningful reductions in fuel burn and CO2 emissions.

“On top of the sustainability benefits, the additional legroom and enhanced comfort these seats will provide will also deliver an improved onboard experience for our customers which we know they’ll love.”

The order means Kestrel economy seats will feature across deliveries of easyJet’s future Airbus A320neo and A321neo fleet from 2028.

Mirus chief executive Ben McGuire said it was “one of the largest single-model aircraft seat awards ever”.

He added that the manufacturer is committed to “enhancing passenger experience and comfort, while delivering sustainability and significant operational cost savings”.

Earlier this month consumer group Which? published research showing the majority of easyJet’s existing aircraft have a seat pitch of 29 inches.

The short-haul carriers with the smallest seat pitch were found to be Jet2, KLM, Lufthansa, Ryanair, SAS, TAP Portugal, Vueling and Wizz Air.

They all have at least some cabins with a 28-inch seat pitch, Which? said.