Travel Tips

Travel Tip: The Airplane Evacuation Test

How fast can a plane be evacuated on the ground during an emergency? 
 
Under federal regulations, airlines must pass this test required by the Federal Aviation Administration. Airlines must safely evacuate a fully-loaded airplane, complete with the requisite amount of carry-on bags, with half the exits blocked in less than 90 seconds. 
 
And guess what? Every airline passes the test. Some argue that the only way the airlines can do that is to hire the cast from Cirque du Soleil. To make matters more problematic, many U.S. airlines have been adding more seats to their planes, with less legroom and narrower aisles. And let’s not forget that Americans tend to weigh more these days. 
 
Finally the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General is launching an emergency evacuation study to see if the airlines can still pass the test.  Here’s a suggestion for the Inspector General. You don’t need a long term study. 
 
Just make it a fair test. Invite a few hundred passengers to participate randomly, and without prescreening them for their athletic ability or knowledge of aircraft interiors, along with whatever carry-on bags they have. Something tells me we won’t need to wait long for the results.
 
By Peter Greenberg for PeterGreenberg.com
 
 
 
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