Ryanair May Consider Having Some Passengers Stand

We thought this was an April Fool's joke until we looked at the calendar. But Ireland's low-cost airline is seriously conisdering a proposal to have passengers on some of its planes stand at stations like barstools with seatbelts around their waists. Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary says he's already talking with Boeing about configuring an airliner with standing room, and is in talks with Irish Aviation Authorities to see if they will go along. "If they approve it, we'll be doing it," a Ryanair spokesperson told The London Telegraph.

The paper reports O'Leary is not the first airline executive to consider standing room airplanes. He apparently got the idea from the Chineses low-cost carrier Spring, which has also floated plans for a standing configuration. Estimates are passenger load could be increased by 50 percent if you do away with those pesky seats, but operating costs would only be reduced 20 percent.

The Telegraph reports O'Leary has had controversial ideas in the past, including requiring passengers to pay to use the lavatory on the airlines' planes, and a "fat tax" for overweight passengers.

There is no word on whether you would have to pull a bell cord to let the pilot know at which airport you wanted to be let off.

FMI: http://www.iaa.ie, www.ryanair.com