Lifestyle

Members of Congress from R.I. push for more comfortable airplane seats

In this Jan. 26, 2016, file photo, economy class seating is shown on a United Airlines Boeing 787-9 undergoing final configuration and maintenance work at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle.AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File) AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File

BOSTON (AP) — Members of Rhode Island’s congressional delegation are calling on the Federal Aviation Administration to make air travel more comfortable by setting a reasonable minimum size and pitch for airplane seats.

Three Democrats — Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, and Reps. Jim Langevin, and David Cicilline — are planning a Monday press conference at T.F. Green Airport.

They say they picked the height of the busy summer travel season to highlight the problem.

Whitehouse said he pushed for a provision signed into law last fall that directed the FAA to propose a minimum seat width and minimum distance between rows of seats. The FAA must meet the law’s requirement by October.

Advertisement:

The lawmakers said less room between seats can also make it more difficult for passengers to quickly exit an airplane.