Why lack of legroom on planes is becoming dangerous
It’s no secret that airlines are trying to cram more and more seats onto planes. But the long-term effects of shrinking legroom can be very dangerous.
Canadian aviation expert Jan Davis is the latest industry figure to weigh in on the debate, arguing shrinking leg space does not only compromise passenger comfort, but in the event of an emergency passenger safety as well.
Professor Davis, who spoke at a recent aviation safety conference in Canberra, said that cramped seating arrangements made it difficult for passengers to adopt the brace position should the plance have to crash or make an emergency landing.
“The seat pitch is the distance essentially between the back of the seat in front of you and your seat back, and airlines have been reducing that distance over the last decade or so,” she said.
“If your seat pitch is less than 30 inches [76.2cm], you will not be able to brace properly if you are of average height… as well as if you are a tall person or a larger person, because there’s just not much space.”
Airlines have been shrinking seats and legroom over the past decade in an effort to boost income, but there’s been strong backlash especially in the US.
What are your thoughts? Do you think airlines are taking it too far?