Senators Call Part 121 Aircraft Evacuation Standards ‘Unrealistic’

The Emergency Vacating of Aircraft Cabin (EVAC) bill would compel the FAA to simulate more realistic scenarios, including passengers across a wider age range and physical abilities, and with carry-ons.

Michael Wildes

Thursday, December 08, 2022 at 04:07 PM ET

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Current rules say airlines must be able to evacuate passengers within 90 seconds. [Courtesy: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth and Tammy Baldwin introduced the Emergency Vacating of Aircraft Cabin (EVAC) bill, aiming to mandate the FAA publish new, more realistic aircraft evacuation standards.
The proposed bill addresses concerns that current FAA evacuation simulations are unrealistic, as they use only able-bodied individuals and do not account for diverse ages, physical abilities, or carry-on bags.
This legislative effort is linked to ongoing public feedback and studies regarding the impact of shrinking airline seat sizes on emergency evacuation safety.

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U.S. lawmakers introduced a bill Thursday that would require the FAA to publish new aircraft evacuation standards for Part 121 commercial aircraft, Reuters reported.

Senators Tammy Duckworth and Tammy Baldwin co-sponsored the Emergency Vacating of Aircraft Cabin (EVAC) bill that would require future FAA evacuation simulations to include more realistic scenarios, including passengers across a wider age range and physical abilities, and with carry-on bags.