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Sitting in the last row of economy class isn’t the way that most people would choose to spend a long-haul flight on a widebody. With the toilet and gallery being close by, there is plenty of light, noise, and foot traffic to contend with, and you are also likely to be the last to be served and disembark. However, as showcased at the 2026 Aircraft Interiors Expo, Collins Aerospace, an RTX company, has a solution to make the last row more bearable.
Known as the ‘Skynook,’ this concept uses the natural taper of a widebody aircraft’s fuselage to create a spacious economy class sanctuary by adding a privacy door to the outside of the row and reimagining the otherwise unused space between the window seat and the sidewall. Whether passengers use this to store luggage, baby car seats, or even service animals, is up to them but, either way, it certainly makes the last row more compelling.
Reimagining The Rear Row
As seen in the picture above, Collins Aerospace has been demonstrating its SkyNook concept at the 2026 Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg today, with Simple Flying’s Managing Editor, Tom Boon, having been on the ground in northern Germany to get a closer look at the product. RTX, Collins’ parent company, described the SkyNook suite as being “a semi-private retreat located at the aft of a widebody aircraft” back in February.
While the space between the seat and the wall isn’t the largest, Collins is confident that its concept will suit a variety of functions. Indeed, the firm says that the SkyNook will be “capable of accommodating families, travelers with service animals or pets, individuals with sensory sensitivities, or someone flying with a fragile, bulky item that cannot be checked.” As far as the mechanics of the concept are concerned, the company went on to say that:
“Collins’ SkyNook solution utilizes a custom convertible console to transform this space, safely securing a car seat, bassinet, pet carrier, or service animal for the duration of the flight.”
Multiple Possible Applications
While the idea of the fuselage tapering inward at the rear of a widebody aircraft is a familiar concept to many in the industry, the specific dimensions can vary from plane to plane. However, the Collins Aerospace SkyNook has been designed to fit the dimensions of various twin-aisle jets, as pictured above.
Most notably, while the concept will primarily be installed on the window side of the rear row, Collins envisions that, on the Airbus A330, it will instead be fitted to the outside of the middle section of the rear row. This is because, as the A330’s fuselage narrows, a seat is removed from the middle section, rather than by the wing.
As detailed in our coverage below, Collins Aerospace has already had a busy start to the 2026 Aircraft Interiors Expo, having made headlines this morning in the form of a joint announcement with Air Canada. Specifically, the Canadian flag carrier has chosen the RTX company’s ‘Aurora’ custom business class suites and ‘Meridian+’ economy class seats for its incoming fleet of Airbus A321XLR narrowbodies, which will enter service this year.
First Look: Air Canada Unveils Lie-Flat Suites For Its New Airbus A321XLR
The Canadian flag carrier is promising widebody comfort on its next-generation narrowbody twinjet.
Nominated For A Crystal Cabin Award
RTX and Collins Aerospace aren’t the only key players in the industry to have demonstrated considerable excitement regarding the Skynook product. Indeed, such is the promise of the concept that it has also been shortlisted as a finalist for the Crystal Cabin Award, specifically in the Passenger Comfort category. Here, it will go up against products from Airbus and Designworks as it vies for further recognition in the aviation industry.
The winners of these awards will be announced today at the 2026 Aircraft Interiors Expo. RTX and Collins Aerospace will be hoping for the best, but, win or lose, they will certainly have won plenty of new fans with their demonstrations of the SkyNook product at the show. There are few tangible benefits to sitting at the very rear of an aircraft, but, with the Skynook, RTX and Collins Aerospace might just have cracked the code to make it better.
