FAA TO CONDUCT SEAT SIZING, EVACUATION TESTING IN NOVEMBER
October 7, 2019
On September 26, 2019, Department of Transportation (DOT) Undersecretary for Policy Joel Szabat and Federal Aviation Administration Deputy Administrator Dan Elwell appeared before the U.S. House Transportation Committee’s Subcommittee on Aviation to discuss ongoing efforts by their respective agencies to implement the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act (“the Act”). Undersecretary Szabat observed that the Act requires over 360 regulatory deliverables from DOT, inclusive of mandates to the FAA, so much work remains incomplete despite a number of imminent one-year deadlines. Deputy Administrator Elwell noted that his agency has been delayed on certain items by technical complexity and workload challenges brought on by this year’s Boeing 737 MAX grounding crisis.
FAA did note upcoming plans to conduct live-action testing of cabin evacuations over a 12 day period in November 2019. In light of trends toward tighter economy seating and an increasingly diverse flying public, the Act directed FAA to study minimum dimensions for seat pitch, width, and length necessary for the safety of passengers. Deputy Administrator Elwell also discussed ongoing efforts to implement various other Reauthorization provisions, including mandates on flight attendant rest, study of secondary cockpit barriers, cabin air quality, and unmanned aircraft system (UAS) remote identification. Our team continues to follow the development of these regulations and will update our readership as new information becomes available.
If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6622); Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6665), or Alexander Matthews (amatthews@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6633).
Share This Post
Authors
