Federal appeals court say government can't ignore airplane seat space as safety issue

Guardian - A US appeals court panel has said that federal officials must reconsider their decision not to regulate the size of airline seats as a safety issue.

In a ruling on Friday, one of the judges called it “the case of the incredible shrinking airline seat”.

The Flyers Rights passenger group challenged the Federal Aviation Administration in court after the agency rejected its request to write rules governing seat size and the distance between rows of seats. New York senator calls for FAA action over 'shrinkage' of airplane seats

A three-judge panel for the federal appeals court in Washington said the FAA had relied on outdated or irrelevant tests and studies before deciding that seat spacing was a matter of comfort, not safety.