The Seat Egress in Air Travel (SEAT) Act would also direct the US Federal Aviation Administration to establish a minimum distance between rows.
A US Congressman will propose legislation to establish minimum seat sizes on commercial aircraft.
The Seat Egress in Air Travel (SEAT) Act would also direct the US Federal Aviation Administration to establish a minimum distance between rows.
"The time to examine the safety implications of smaller airplane seats is now, not after some future tragedy," Republican Congressman Steve Cohen said in prepared remarks.
"Planes need to be capable of rapid evacuation in case of emergency, yet appropriate testing has not been conducted by the FAA on all of today's smaller seats. In addition, doctors have warned that deep vein thrombosis can afflict passengers who don't move their legs during longer flights."
According to the announcement, the average distance between rows of seats, known in the industry as pitch, has dropped from 35 inches before airline deregulation in the 1970s to 31 inches today, and average seat width has shrunk from 18 inches to 16.5 inches.
Airlines have tightened configurations in order to fit more seats on a plane, thereby boosting revenue.
A similar measure introduced last year as an amendment to an FAA reauthorisation bill was unsuccessful. Congress must once again pass FAA reauthorisation legislation in 2017.
Source: Travel Weekly USA