Congressmen Cohen and Kinzinger Renew Calls for Congress to Take Action on Airplane Seat Size Bill

Press Release

Ahead of a busy weekend for air travel and a July 15th deadline for Congress to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation, and Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) today renewed their call for Congress to take action on the bipartisan Seat Egress in Air Travel (SEAT) Act (H.R. 4490) to establish a minimum seat size on commercial airlines as well as a minimum distance between rows of seats to protect the safety and health of airline passengers.

In a letter to House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure members yesterday, former Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board Jim Hall announced his support for the SEAT Act, saying that, in light of smaller seat airline seat sizes, "I feel it is imperative that the FAA re-evaluate its standards for emergency evacuations…"

"As millions of Americans take to the skies this weekend, it is yet another reminder of our sacred obligation to make sure air travel is safe. Planes need to be capable of rapid evacuation in case of emergency, and we need the FAA to examine the impact of today's smaller seats," said Congressman Cohen. "Safety has to come first. That is why Congressman Kinzinger and I continue to call on Congress to pass the SEAT Act."

"I am pleased to join Congressmen Cohen in supporting the SEAT Act," said Congressman Kinzinger. "This bipartisan legislation is an effective way to ensure the safety and health of passengers by establishing minimum seat size and distance between rows on an airplane. With the deadline to reauthorize the FAA quickly approaching, I hope my colleagues will support this effort and ensure passengers have the space needed to evacuate a plane in case of emergencies."

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