Sen. Chuck Schumer wants the feds to step in to protect the ever-shrinking leg room given to tightly squeezed airline passengers.
Schumer (D-NY) said he’ll introduce an amendment to the upcoming Federal Aviation Administration bill to force the agency to set minimum space standards for planes.
The average amount of leg room between rows of seats has dropped from 35 inches in the 1970s to 31 today, and the width of a seat has been cut from 18.5 inches in the 1990s to 17.
“Whether it’s between seats or between rows, passenger space onboard flights has become smaller and smaller squeezing passengers and making air travel uncomfortable and overcrowded,” Schumer said. “This squeezing, tightening and cramming of our airline seats makes people feel more like sardines.”
There are currently no laws that dictate how much space airlines must leave between seats, except in exit rows.
And while shaving space off regular seats, many airlines have begun to charge extra for seats with more legroom.
Schumer said Congress should use the FAA bill, which it must pass by the end of March to keep the agency running, to regulate the industry, which he says is now making record profits while squeezing customers.
“The FAA needs to tell the airline industry: Not one more inch!” he said. “With inches now equating to big dollars that have helped deliver even bigger profits for airlines, a minimum seat size standard is both fair and timely.”
New York Daily News
US Senator wants to pass bill for minimum seat pitch/width
