Advocates fear shrinking airline seats could slow evacuations
For many, flying coach has become downright uncomfortable, with more passengers squeezed into smaller seats. It turns out that may also be putting lives at risk in an emergency. As airlines shrink seats, passenger safety advocates worry evacuations will take even longer. The space between rows has shrunk from as much as 35 inches to 31. In some cases, it's down to just 28 inches. Paul Hudson is president of Flyers Rights, an advocacy group that sued to force the FAA to regulate seat size and update decades-old safety standards. He said that the shrinking of seats is "definitely" making the flying public less safe. Over the summer, an appellate court sided with Hudson's group. It found a "plausible life-and-death safety concern" and "ordered the FAA to look at the issue." The FAA said it is reviewing the judge's ruling. <br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2017-09-15/general/advocates-fear-shrinking-airline-seats-could-slow-evacuations
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/logo.png
Advocates fear shrinking airline seats could slow evacuations
For many, flying coach has become downright uncomfortable, with more passengers squeezed into smaller seats. It turns out that may also be putting lives at risk in an emergency. As airlines shrink seats, passenger safety advocates worry evacuations will take even longer. The space between rows has shrunk from as much as 35 inches to 31. In some cases, it's down to just 28 inches. Paul Hudson is president of Flyers Rights, an advocacy group that sued to force the FAA to regulate seat size and update decades-old safety standards. He said that the shrinking of seats is "definitely" making the flying public less safe. Over the summer, an appellate court sided with Hudson's group. It found a "plausible life-and-death safety concern" and "ordered the FAA to look at the issue." The FAA said it is reviewing the judge's ruling. <br/>
