Everybody knows how cramped airline seats are, especially for those that are disabled.
Now Congress is taking up the matter and seeking change.
Congress is considering a new bill that would address airline safety, especially for disabled passengers who might have difficulty exiting the airplane.
Airlines are still looking to regain some of the income lost from the pandemic. But, Congress says, it should not come at the expense of trying to cram more and more people into the cabin and create an unsafe situation.
Now Congress will consider the Emergency Vacating of Aircraft Cabin, or EVAC Act.
The Federal Aviation Administration is supporting the bill and recently gathered public comment on the matter.
"It is my belief that much of the acting out by airline passengers is at least in part attributable to the severe overcrowding on airplanes. When people are so crowded that they cannot comfortably move without bumping or annoying someone else, they get tense and angry," wrote one commenter to the FAA. "I am elderly and can no longer fly unless I pay extra for extra seat room. No one except airline shareholders likes this situation."
More than 26,000 people publicly commented.
“I am a 6'5" 320lb. man ... After most flights I take, my knees are in a considerable amount of pain," reads another submission. "Being a large person makes moving around the cabin difficult. In the event of an emergency it would be very difficult for me to maneuver out of my seat and move out of the way for my fellow passengers for them to get to safety."
The bill is sponsored by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin and Tammy Duckworth, who wrote to the FAA and asked the agency to "do a better job of taking real-life conditions into account to ensure all types of passengers can safely evacuate in an emergency."
They also asked the FAA to consider the height and weight of passengers and seating configuration.
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