Schumer: Feds lagging on airline seat-squeeze regs
The feds must do more to stop airlines from shrinking seat sizes to jam in as many passengers as possible, Sen. Chuck Schumer said Sunday.
The Federal Aviation Administration is required to establish minimum seat size criteria under a provision pushed by Schumer this September.
Under that provision, the FAA has a year to tackle the shrinking seat issue, and give notice for the public to voice their opinions on the issue.
But the “FAA is not implementing the law” Schumer (photo) told reporters. “FAA, do the study. Implement the law and get us back to the days when, even though the seats were tight, you could fit in to them without severe discomfort,” he said.
The average amount of leg room between rows of seats has decreased from 35 inches in the 1970s to 31 currently. Additionally, seat width has been slashed from 18.5 inches in the 1990s to 17.
“The only thing that hasn’t shrunk is airline profits,” Schumer said.
The FAA has 10 months to come up with the new seat-size regulations.
But the agency hasn’t even started the process, Schumer said, noting travelers on Thanksgiving will be stuck in small spaces.
“The No. 1 travel complaint I get from airline customers is shrinking seats,” he added. “And — like the seats themselves — the FAA’s timeline to tackle this issue is getting smaller and smaller with each passing day.”
Currently, no laws are on the books as to how much room airlines must provide travelers between seats, aside from exit rows due to possible emergencies. As the FAA works on the new regulations, many airlines continue to charge passengers added fees for seats with extra space.