The Federal Aviation Administration has been directed to establish regulations for seat dimensions on airlines, something that lawmakers and consumer groups have been pushing for amid fears that shrinking seat sizes could endanger passengers.
However, it’s uncertain what standards the FAA will adopt and if it means more legroom.
“Safety should not take a back seat, especially a shrunken seat, to airline profits,” Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., said in a statement in September.
The FAA reauthorization bill that was signed into law this month includes a provision introduced by Cohen that calls for the FAA to “issue regulations that establish minimum dimensions for passenger seats” on airlines that would determine “minimums for seat pitch, width, and length, and that are necessary for the safety of passengers.” The regulations will come within the next year after the FAA provides a notice and opportunity for groups to submit comments.
“Tightly cramped seating on aircraft is a safety issue, and will now be taken seriously,” Cohen said, adding that the directive “will ensure that shrinking seats on airplanes are evaluated in the interest of the safety of the flying public.”
But some are skeptical the FAA will take action to expand seating for passengers, and they’re worried that small seats already in use will become the new standard. In July, the agency revealed it had zero evidence to indicate that “current seat sizes are a factor in evacuation speed, nor that current seat sizes create a safety issue necessitating rule-making.”
According to nonprofit consumer organization FlyersRights.org, seat width has decreased from an average of 18.5 inches to 17 inches and the space between rows — known as the seat pitch — has shrunk from about 35 inches to 31 inches. The tightest seat pitch used by any airline is 28 inches.
“The FAA regulates passenger safety, not comfort. If their evacuation tests show an aircraft can safely be evacuated at a 28-inch seat pitch, that’s where the minimum will be set,” said Christopher Elliott, founder of consumer advocacy organization Elliott Advocacy. “And that probably means all economy class sections will go to 28 inches, which is very uncomfortable.”
Charles Leocha, president and co-founder of Travelers United, predicted that the seat pitch would be set at around 31 inches.
“I don’t think there’s going to be less seat pitch,” Leocha said. “I think we’re going to end up with around 31 inches, and that’s what most of the airlines are currently using.”
Although FAA rules require that aircraft must be evacuated within 90 seconds during emergencies, the tests have attracted scrutiny because critics claim they don’t accurately portray real world evacuations. Additionally, the FAA permits “the use of analysis in lieu of a full-scale demonstration,” which means computer modeling can replace certain drills with actual people.
Elliott said he wouldn’t be surprised if the FAA found a way to successfully stage an evacuation with even tighter seat pitch than any airlines use.
“I would love to see how the computer models do with a 25- or 26-inch seat pitch,” Elliott said, arguing that comfort is a safety concern because passengers will behave differently than they normally would if they don’t have enough personal space.
Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation Inspector General launched an audit of the FAA’s evacuation practices in June to assess the FAA’s “development and updating of aircraft emergency evacuation standards” and the “process for determining whether aircraft as currently configured meet evacuation standards.”
The IG’s office said in the audit announcement that the FAA’s evacuation standards have not been “significantly updated” since 1990, but that there have been dramatic changes in the industry and consumer behavior since then.
“I think that’s very worthwhile, to have a third party take a look at that seriously,” said Robert Poole, director of transportation policy at the Reason Foundation. “Because we really don’t have objective information on that. Those standards are pretty old.”
“The FAA may just defer to the inspector general, they may do their own internal study, but that will give us some kind of a basis to go on to say whether from a safety standpoint, the regulations need to be changed,” Poole added.
It remains uncertain how exactly the FAA will proceed. The FAA declined to comment to the Washington Examiner on specific provisions included in the FAA reauthorization bill, noting that the agency must review the bill first before adhering to new regulations.
Airlines for America, an organization that represents American, United and Southwest, said the group backed the provision in the FAA reauthorization bill.
“We support the federal government’s role in determining what seat size is safe as required by this bill,” Airlines for America said in a statement.
The group did not disclose whether they intended to submit comments to the FAA regarding the provision, but Elliott Advocacy and Travelers United said they would do so.
“We are planning to submit comments that explain that passenger comfort is important to safety,” Elliott said. “If you’re trapped in a pressurized aluminum tube for several hours, you might react in a way that’s unsafe for your fellow passengers.”
Leocha said Travelers United was a leader in focusing on health and safety ramifications of airline seats and would “absolutely” be filing comments.
“Why would we stop?” Leocha said. “We’ve been the leader in this since day one. We’re the ones that first raised this. We’re the first ones that changed the discussion to health and safety and we’re going to continue to stay on top of it.”
