President Donald Trump has signed legislation passed by Congress which will extend FAA policy for a further five years under the FAA Reauthorization Bill.
There are a number of provisions in the Reauthorization Bill which have drawn attention, in particular the “Seat Egress in Air Travel (SEAT) Act,” which will force the FAA to set specific standards for minimum seat sizes on commercial planes, principally their width and the space between them. The FAA has been given a year in which to come up with the new guidelines, though many fear that the new regulations may end up codifying the tightest seat arrangement that is currently in existence.
However, while airlines have backed plans for the privatization of the U.S. air traffic control system, lawmakers have abandoned any plans for this to take place. Congressional negotiators have also dropped plans to clamp down on carriers which charge unreasonable fees.
Subsequent to a number of incidents which involved the removal of passengers once they had boarded aircraft, known as ’involuntary de-boarding’, usually to make room on crowded flights for crew members who will be operating on another aircraft at the flight’s destination, this practise will now be barred. Legislation will also force carriers to be more transparent and efficient with the distribution of information regarding delayed and canceled flights.
According to Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) “The many reforms in this law will help strengthen American leadership in aviation, create jobs, and improve safety and service for passengers.”
