US FAA should bar airlines from reducing leg room -6 Democratic senators

Six Democratic US senators urged the FAA on Tuesday to bar airlines from further shrinking the size and leg room of airplane seats. The senators including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Richard Blumenthal, Edward Markey and Ron Wyden, said airlines have been shrinking seat sizes since at least the 1990s — with seat pitch, which determines leg room, decreasing from 32 inches (81 cm) to 28 inches (71 cm), and seat width decreasing from 19 inches (48 cm) to as little as 16 inches (41 cm). "We urge the FAA to comprehensively review the safety factors impacting seat pitch, width, and length and ensure that such safety factors take into account the entirety of the American public – including children, senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, and others," the senators wrote to FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen. "We urge the FAA to immediately prohibit any reduction in size, width, or pitch of seats on airplanes, the amount of leg room per seat, and the width of aisles on such planes until a final rule is issued." Airlines for America and the IATA said in written comments they believe the FAA should not write regulations setting minimum seating dimensions, arguing the agency "has thoroughly studied seat sizes and concluded that current passenger dimensions and configurations are safe." In 2018, Congress said FAA within a year had to issue regulations establishing minimum dimensions for passenger seats - including minimums for seat pitch, width, and length - "that are necessary for the safety of passengers."<br/>