The viral photo of "standing seats" on a Ryanair airplane sparked a flurry of reactions: the airline's joke about the future of budget flights turned out to be too plausible for many passengers.
A photo created by artificial intelligence featuring an unusual airplane cabin layout has gone viral on social media — passengers are standing in vertical "stands" and strapped in with seatbelts. The author of the post added an ironic caption: "The future of flying with Ryanair. If your shoe size is larger than 10/11, an additional charge of 15% will apply."
Ryanair, known for its provocative jokes and ultra-low-cost approach, quickly jumped on the viral post. Airline representatives reposted the image, adding only: "We would never give out headphones."
However, the public's reaction was far from unanimous amusement. Commenters reminded that many innovative airline ideas started as jokes. One user sarcastically asked: "You’re joking now, but in five years will this be the norm?" Others mocked hypothetical "paid oxygen masks" or a pilot's seat in the same style.
There were also suggestions to develop the concept to absurdity: standing on one leg, tilting seats at 45 degrees, or cramming people into luggage compartments. Some seriously admitted that they simply couldn’t endure a long flight in a standing position.
