US: FAA faces audit of airplane evacuation standards

A US DoT watchdog is reviewing federal oversight of aircraft evacuation standards, as airline seating gets tighter and passengers bring more carry-on baggage with them on board. The FAA requires that aircraft can be evacuated within 90 seconds in the case of an emergency. But the inspector general's office of the Department of Transportation said these standards haven't been significantly updated since 1990, while passenger behavior and cabin configurations have changed. Airlines have added more seats and cut seat pitch on board as air travel demand has grown. The inspector general's office will evaluate how FAA is updating standards given those changes and assess the agency's "process for determining whether aircraft as currently configured meet evacuation standards." "We look forward to working with the OIG to explain how we ensure airlines are complying with our regulations on emergency evacuations," the FAA said. Passenger behaviour that could hamper evacuation could include the retrieval of cabin baggage, which many passengers carry on board to avoid checked-luggage fees.<br/>