Airline seat size may be adjusted

Federal bill would set a minimum size to help with safe evacuation.

The Federal Aviation Administration would be required to set minimum seat sizes on airlines if a bill passed by the U.S. House becomes law.

Legislation called the SEAT Act, introduced by U.S. Rep Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) and U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), was included in a broader FAA reauthorization bill passed by the U.S. House last month. It is awaiting action by the Senate.

The bill would also require the FAA to set minimum distances between airline seat rows.

”House passage of the SEAT Act is a huge win for airline passengers and a huge win for safety,” Cohen said in a written statement. “Passengers need to be able to evacuate quickly and safely in the event of an emergency, and the FAA needs to make sure they can.”

”The sardine-ification of economy class seems to have reached a tipping point,” according to consumer advocacy group FlyersRights.org, which had filed a petition to the FAA to regulate seat sizes.

Seat sizes and seat space in economy class have declined in the era of airline deregulation. Meanwhile, roomier seats with extra legroom and extra space are sold for higher fares in first class and “comfort plus” sections.

American Airlines last month took heat after saying it would squeeze some rows of seats closer together on its new Boeing 737 MAX planes. Then American backtracked and said it would reduce the space by 1 inch instead of 2 inches.

Airlines have said they don’t think there is an increased safety risk.

“If airlines are forced to start reducing the number of seats .... fares are going to increase and I think we’re going to price out a lot of the traveling public,” said Allegiant Air’s director of government affairs Keith Hansen during a hearing on the issue in 2015.