Recently an Instagram post featuring these images went viral. The post falsely claimed that budget airlines would begin installing these saddle-style seats, which more or less place the passenger in a standing position, in an effort to cram more passengers in.

An online backlash formed, which is of course the point of releasing false information on the internet: Rile people up, steal eyeballs. But the truth is, these SkyRider seats are a concept from over a decade ago, have not been approved by regulatory bodies, are not in production, and no airline has ordered any.

The concept is by Italy's Aviointeriors, who recently released the following statement:

"The Skyrider, often mistaken for a finalized airline seat ready for takeoff, is in fact a conceptual prototype dating back to 2012. Designed as a bold response to one of the aviation industry's most pressing challenges, while maximizing space and ergonomics it was never meant to be taken at face value. Rather, it was a provocative exercise in design innovation, challenging the limits of what air travel might one day look like.

"Aviointeriors is well aware of today's market demands, bringing together quality, comfort, and the unmistakable touch of Made in Italy in every product it creates. For now, the Skyrider is not part of the official lineup."

The company then seems to hedge their bets:

"But who knows what the future of aviation may hold?"

In other words, We know these aren't cool...uh, unless you guys think they're cool?

I personally find the backlash ridiculous. Admittedly I'm biased; I have a bad back and would actually prefer to stand on short-haul flights. Also, if these do become a reality, it will likely be within a couple of budget rows at the back of the plane; if you don't like the seats, all you have to do is buy a ticket for a regular seat.

Anyways, here we have an odd case of a design concept going viral for the wrong reasons.