Consumer Group Demands FAA Act On Seat Comfort, Safety
Excerpts from Forbes
Concerned about airline passengers’ comfort and safety, the consumer organization FlyersRights is petitioning the federal government to establish minimum aircraft seat standards by next July.
FlyersRights says Congress mandated the Federal Aviation Administration to establish such standards by Oct. 5, 2019, but the agency ignored the deadline. Half of adult passengers “can no longer reasonably fit in most airline seats,” the group’s petition says.
Besides comfort, increased seat width and pitch (the amount of space between one point on a seat to the same point on the seat in front of it) and other seating improvements would “allow for a safe evacuation” during an emergency, FlyersRights says. Such increases and improvements would also enable passengers to properly assume a brace position in an emergency and reduce the incidence of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism among passengers, the group says.
This reporter contacted the FAA and asked the agency why it didn’t meet the 2019 congressional deadline and whether it disagrees with any of FlyersRights’ positions and statements. The FAA did not provide answers to those questons and gave a one-sentence response.
“The petition filed by FlyersRights will be considered under the agency’s rulemaking procedures,” said FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro.
