In 2018, Congress directed the FAA to , after notice and comment , issue such rules for minimum dimensions for passenger seats that are necessary for passenger safety. The FAA conducted simulated emergency evacuations , the results of which are in a publicly-available report.
Now , the FAA seeks public comment on the minimum seat dimensions that are necessary for passenger safety.
Within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2018, Pub. L. No. 115-254 § 577, Congress required that “…the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall issue regulations that establish minimum dimensions for passenger seats on aircraft operated by air carriers in interstate air transportation or intrastate air transportation, including minimums for seat pitch, width, and length, and that are necessary for the safety of passengers.”
A research project was developed to provide information to rule-makers within the FAA to meet this requirement . A total of 775 participants were recruited to assist with meeting two research objectives :
Based on this study's results, currently flying seat pitches using seats of similar size or smaller than those used in this project can accommodate and not impede egress for 99% of the American population.
This project also concluded that, similar to previous evacuation research, as long as ergonomic minimums are maintained, the transport airplane's interior configuration, including seat pitch and width, has not been shown to influence evacuations.
Written comments must be received on or before November 1, 2022.
Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2022-1001 using any of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for sending your comments electronically.
• Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30; U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W12-140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
• Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
• Facsimile: Fax comments to Docket Operations at (202) 493-2251.
Section 577 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (Pub. L. 115-254, “the Act”) directed the FAA to issue, after notice and comment, such rules as necessary for the safety of passengers with regard to the minimum dimensions, including seat pitch, width, and length, of passenger seats on aircraft operated by air carriers in interstate air transportation or intrastate air transportation.
Section 577 recognizes the FAA's statutory mission of safety in air commerce. 49 U.S.C. 44701. To gather data in furtherance of the agency's implementation of Section 577 of the Act, the FAA conducted simulated emergency evacuations at the FAA's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) and produced a report.
Additionally, Section 337 of the Act directed the FAA to review, with stakeholders, the evacuation certification of transport-category aircraft used in air transportation, and report the results of the review to Congress.
In support of the agency's compliance with Section 337 of the Act, the FAA chartered the Emergency Evacuation Standards Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) to gather the stakeholders needed to perform the required review of evacuation issues. The ARC submitted a report to the FAA. The FAA, in a report to Congress, submitted the ARC report along with the CAMI report on March 31, 2022.
In furtherance of the agency's implementation of Section 577 of the Act, the FAA invites public comments to assist the agency in determining what minimum dimensions (including pitch , width, and length) of passenger seats may be necessary for safety, including in particular airplane evacuation.
The FAA has assessed what safety issues could be associated with seat dimensions and concluded that additional data regarding evacuations could be valuable.
The FAA invites comments on minimum seat dimensions necessary for passenger safety, especially during airplane evacuation, as the FAA examines whether new regulatory standards are necessary, in order to ensure such safety and comply with Section 577 of the Act. The FAA encourages commenters to review the CAMI report, and other materials in the docket, prior to commenting.
Comments should address whether, considering the existing regulatory requirements, one or more of the following seat dimensions have or demonstrably could adversely affect the safety of air passengers by delaying the group egress time of an emergency evacuation :
Further, commenters are asked to provide information regarding the minimum seat dimensions necessary to ensure safety during airplane evacuation of a broad range of passengers , including those who were not included in the CAMI study including children, people over 60 , and individuals with disabilities.
The FAA emphasizes that comments that include technical data and information will be the most helpful . The FAA is not requesting comments regarding matters unrelated to the agency's determination under section 577, such as how the dimensions of passenger seats might relate to passenger comfort or convenience.
Source : Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
