European Aircraft manufacturer, Airbus has said that the aviation industry has urged the aviation industry to set a minimum seat width of 18 inches for long-haul aircraft.

The remark comes after a London-based research showed that the sleep quality of passengers can significantly improve if the seat width is wider. Airbus already has an 18-inch minimum width in its long-haul economy cabins while business and first-class cabins have wider seats.

The company said today, “However, other manufacturers are eroding passenger comfort standards by going back to narrower seat widths from the 1950s in order to remain competitive.”

The company released the details of the research that was conducted by Harley Street medical practice The London Sleep Centre. The researchers studied a selection of passenger, which included monitoring brainwaves, eye, abdominal, chest, hip and leg movement. The research showed that that a minimum seat width of 18 inches improved passenger sleep quality by 53 per cent compared to a 17-inch standard seat.

Dr Irshaad Ebrahim, of The London Sleep Centre said that the difference on wider seats was significant can all the passengers experienced deeper, less disturbed and longer night's sleep.