Why Are Plane Seats Always Blue?

Air travel is a stressful experience for many people– the space is cramped, there are numerous rules and more often than not you’re elbow-to-elbow with someone you don’t know.

But while might not seem like it, airlines do try to make the experience as calming as possible – starting with the colour of the seats. Chances are you’ve noticed that most aeroplanes have blue seats – even EasyJet, who loves to splash its signature shade of tangerine around the cabin. There’s a scientific reason behind the choice of colour though, and it’s not because it’s best at hiding dirt.

The main reason for the popular shadeof deep blue is that it produces calming chemicals in the body – lessening the chance of plane rage and creating a sense of well-being. The experts at Colour Psychology website said: “Blue is a colour that suggests peace- it’s the colour of the calm sea and the clear sky, both of which are linked to inner serenity, calm and clarity. “Blue is also shown to slow heart rate and breathing, so it can be a good colour to aid in meditation or relaxation.” The colour is also supposed to appear trustworthy, which is why people often wear blue suits to job interviews.

Given that a plane is about to be defying nature and flying hundreds of people through the sky, it makes sense that they want passengers to trust them.It also changes a person’s senses. According to website Popular Science, 48 percent of people in a study believed a fizzy drink presented in a blue glass would be more thirst-quenching than another colour, because it was associated with the cold.

So airlines believe that the shade of blue will also help passengers feel cooler.

In the 1970s and 80s, there was a trend for airlines to install red seats in cabins but they were later removed, in part because warm colours are thought to spark hostile and angry emotions in passengers.