Photo: SuperJet International/Flickr
Airplane seats are continually getting tinier so airlines can pack more people are being packed on board. And that’s not just bad news for your passive aggressive battles over knee and armrest space. It could be bad news in an emergency, as well.
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) hasn’t formally studied evacuation under the tighter space conditions on newer airplanes yet, but it should. Airplanes with seats of 31 inches of space have been tested, and have proved allow passengers to evacuate within 90 seconds (though some critics say that these results aren’t very realistic, as they only use able-bodied people). But most airlines these days have seats that are 30 inches, and some budget carriers, like Spirit Airlines, have seats as small as 28 inches.
The FAA is has been under fire from consumer groups lobbying that lack of legroom is a health risk in its own right, but Cynthia McLean, the administration’s principal cabin safety investigator told WSJ that people shouldn’t necessarily worry — that having spacious rows would only leave room for fliers to bang their head during emergency landings. She said having the seat in front closer may reduce injury, too (so please, remind yourself that the next time you feel like your knees are deteriorating mid-flight).