August 02, 2017

Court Dings FAA in ÔCase of Incredible Shrinking Airline SeatÕ

Those who think airline seats are becoming too cramped in economy class appear to have found some allies in the federal court system.
In response to a suit filed by the Flyers Rights consumer group, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit told the Federal Aviation Administration it must reconsider whether airline seat size and space should be regulated.

One judge went as far as to label it Òthe case of the incredible shrinking airline seat," though the courtÕs comments are more of a more public rebuke than a meaningful step toward seat-size requirements. Still, it's a refrain that likely strikes a chord among many coach-class fliers.

It all came after Flyers Rights called on the FAA to enact seat-size standards, arguing that narrower and tighter seats has become a safety risk in an evacuation and a health risk for passenger such as deep-vein thrombosis.

However, the FAA rejected Flyers RightsÕ request, noting it already requires airlines to prove they can get everyone off a plane in 90 seconds in an emergency and bases its seating policies based on that.

But the court hearing the complaint wasnÕt entirely moved, according to USA TODAYÕs Bart Jansen, who has the full breakdown of the story.

Jansen writes:

ÒA three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled Friday that the FAA offered a Ôvaporous recordÕ of evacuation tests with Ôoff-point studies and undisclosed tests using unknown parametersÕ in justifying not regulating seat size. The court ordered FAA to provide a Ôproperly reasonedÕ explanation of its evacuation standards.:

Ò ÔThis is the case of the incredible shrinking airline seat,Õ Judge Patricia Millett wrote in the 23-page decision.Ó

FlyersRights president Paul Hudson called the courtÕs decision "a very rare reprimandÓ for the airline industry.

ÒWhat I think legally is unusual about the case is that the court found that the evidence that the FAA gave for the denial was essentially fake," Hudson said to Jansen on Monday.

WhatÕs next? The FAA said Monday that itÕs considering the ruling and any actions it must take to address the courtÕs request.

ÒThe FAA does consider seat pitch in testing and assessing the safe evacuation of commercial, passenger aircraft,Ó FAA said in a statement to USA TODAY.


Copyright 2017 USA TODAY. All rights reserved. From http://www.usatoday.com. By Ben Mutzabaugh.

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