Congressional bill may require bigger seats on planes

Legislation being considered in the House this week could force the Federal Aviation Administration to provide larger seats and more space for passengers, the Associated Press reported. The legislation is part of a five-year extension of FAA programs and the Congress will have until September 30th for the programs to continue operating.

The average airline seat has declined in recent years, with a width falling from 18 to 17 inches or less, reported USA Today. But as seat sizes shrink, passengers are also growing, making air travel even more inaccessible to some. A survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that an average woman weighing 140 pounds in 1960 weighed nearly 169 pounds in 2014.

"The relief may soon be on the way of tired air passengers facing increasingly smaller seats," said Florida Sen. Senator Senator Bill Nelson, according to the Associated Press.

With a profit of $ 14.7 billion in 2017, up 7.4% from 2016, the airline industry has the means to give back to passengers.

Currently, JetBlue is known to offer the most space for passengers, at 34 inches, with Spirit far behind, offering only 28 inches of legroom, Insider said last year. It's not a lot of room to travel comfortably.

But this is not the first time that the government has weighed down on the airline seat that is constantly shrinking. In February, the FAA released a trend report, but in July, it refused to intervene. A few days later, the Washington, DC, appeal court ruled in favor of Flyers Rights, ordering aviation regulators to consider setting minimum standards for Airlines companies.

The bill would also prohibit airlines from hitting passengers who have already boarded the plane – when an airline forces a passenger to leave an overbooked flight. There should also be a minimum of 10 hours of rest for flight attendants between shifts.

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Republican Senator of South Dakota John Thune, said the bill should be passed quickly by Congress in order to be completed as soon as possible.

But remember, having more legroom is a big responsibility. (So ​​easy on tilt, please.)