The FAA is required to establish minimum airplane seat dimensions
FlyersRights.org, an airline passenger advocacy group, has been urging the creation of minimum seat dimensions since 2015. That effort got a boost during the 2018 FAA reauthorization when Congress agreed that the agency was not acting urgently enough to address densifying airplane cabins.
"Seats have continued to shrink by some airlines, and people are continuing to get larger," said Paul Hudson, president of FlyersRights.org. "Our estimate is that only 20% of the population can reasonably fit in these seats now. It’s beyond a matter of comfort, or even emergency evacuation, there are serious health and safety issues when you’re put in cramped conditions for hours on end."
Hudson said that tighter seats can increase the risk for serious health issues like deep vein thrombosis, especially on longer flights.
