Flyers Rights Petitions FAA For Minimum Seat Size Standard

The airline consumer group Flyers Rights has petitioned the FAA to set minimum standards for the size of seats on airliners.

The group says its concern is the evacuation of an airliner in the event of an emergency. Current regulations require that an airliner be able to be evacuated in 90 seconds or less, but there are no limits on the size of the airplane's seats, or how close the rows can be.

Television station KCNC reports that Flyers Rights has delivered a petition to the FAA with over 30,000 signatures calling for a minimum seat size standard. Most major airlines space their rows of seats 31 inches apart, with JetBlue, Southwest, and Virgin America having slightly more room between the rows. Some, including Allegiant, Frontier, and Spirit have as little as 28 inches between the rows of seats.

Flyers Rights president Paul Hudson said that the concern is passenger safety, as well as a health concern for blood clots that may form during long flights. He said that evacuating an airplane with so little space between rows has not really been tested. He also said that there is a security concern, with the cramped space causing disagreements and even fights among passengers.

FMI: www.flyersrights.org