Seat unit for an aircraft passenger having a docking position

A seat unit for a passenger of an aircraft such as an airliner, comprising a seat with an adjustable position and a shell intended to isolate said seat from a similar neighboring seat unit, said seat including a sitting portion and a backrest movable on a base, said sitting portion and said backrest being respectively actuated by a motor-driven mechanism, characterized in that said unit comprises a means for detecting a presence of said passenger on the seat, said seat being configured to:

• adopt a so-called takeoff/taxiing/landing position when a presence of the passenger is detected by said detection means, in which said sitting portion is away from said shell and in which said backrest is reclined in the direction of said shell, and
• adopt a so-called docking position when no presence of the passenger is detected by said detection means, in which said sitting portion is brought close to said shell, and in which said backrest is substantially parallel to said shell, so as to widen a passage formed between said seat and the shell of a similar seat unit arranged at the front of said seat, or a wall of the aircraft, when said unit is installed in an aircraft cabin.