Airbus A320neo Cabin Width Trumps Boeing 737 MAX
The Airbus A320neo family has a significant advantage over its Boeing 737 MAX counterpart in terms of internal cabin width. The A320 family's fuselage cross-section measures 13 feet externally, and internally, the cabin width is 12 feet and two inches. In contrast, the Boeing 737 family has an external fuselage width of 12 feet and four inches, making it eight inches narrower than the A320.
The internal cabin width of the 737 is 11 feet and seven inches, which is around nine inches narrower than the A320. Despite this, both aircraft seat six passengers across in economy class. However, this means that A320 passengers enjoy more space due to its wider cabin.
While passengers may expect wider seats on low-cost carriers with A320 aircraft, most of the extra space is absorbed by aisle width, sidewall curvature, and other design features. The typical seat on an A320 with low-cost carriers is around 17.5 to 18 inches wide, which is only half an inch more than the 17 to 17.5 inches seen with Boeing 737 low-cost carrier economy seats.