Two Senate Democrats want the Biden administration to take another look at whether airplane seats are too cramped.
The pressure – in the form of legislation from Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Tammy Baldwin – would require the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct new airplane cabin evacuation tests with more realistic conditions, and issue standards that include the size of and space between seats. They’re concerned about safe evacuation in an emergency. But the issue of seat size is near and dear to travelers frustrated with wedging into tight coach seats.
“You say ‘Hey, do you think the FAA – when they conduct a test – should simulate the actual people that are in the aircraft?’” Duckworth said to reporters on a conference call. “I think most Americans would say, ‘Well, yeah, don’t they already do that?’”
Her criticism refers to aircraft evacuation testing the FAA conducted in 2019. The mock cabins used 60 “passengers” – far fewer than in most commercial jets – between the ages of 18 and 60 but did not include senior citizens, people with mobility disabilities or carry-on luggage.
“Obviously, the FAA simply chose to ignore the reality of flying in America today,” Duckworth said.
The FAA declined to comment on the matter.
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Article URL : https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/31/politics/airplane-seat-size-faa/index.html