Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) have formally requested the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to study the safety implications of reduced flight attendant staffing on some long-haul widebody aircraft. Their concern centers on emergency evacuation capabilities when the number of flight attendants is fewer than the aircraft’s exit doors.
In a letter to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, the senators highlighted that airlines such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines have obtained FAA approval to operate with fewer flight attendants than dual-aisle exit doors on certain widebody flights. They wrote that this staffing strategy “violates the purpose of evacuation certification” and creates “a dangerous gap in safety,” as a single flight attendant might be required to manage two exit doors up to 19 feet apart during an emergency.
American Airlines’ Boeing 787-9P planes, for example, were recently certified by the FAA to operate with seven flight attendants despite having eight exit doors, based on seating capacity and evacuation demonstration tests. American says it typically staffs eight to ten attendants depending on flight length but maintains the lower minimum to accommodate potential crew illnesses during a trip.
The FAA sets minimum staffing levels following evacuation safety demonstrations for each aircraft seating configuration. According to the FAA, these demonstrations establish the number of flight attendants needed to evacuate the aircraft within 90 seconds, the current regulatory standard. However, real-world evacuations often take significantly longer; an incident in 2024 involving Japan Airlines Flight 516 took between 11 and 18 minutes to fully evacuate after a collision on the ground.
Flight attendant unions have also voiced concerns. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants representing 55,000 employees, stated that assigning one attendant to cover two exit doors on widebody aircraft increases risks such as unusable exits, injuries, and exposure to smoke during evacuations. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants described minimum staffing reductions as an “industry-wide problem” that leaves exit doors unattended.
The senators are also seeking an update on FAA evacuation testing reforms mandated by Congress in 2024, which remain incomplete nearly two years past the deadline. This updated testing is intended to include real-world variables such as passengers of varying ages and abilities, luggage, and service animals—factors not included in the FAA’s 2019 evacuation tests.
Duckworth, who lost both legs serving in the Iraq War, has personally expressed doubt about the feasibility of evacuating aircraft within the 90-second regulatory requirement, highlighting the need for realistic safety standards. Former National Transportation Safety Board Chair Robert Sumwalt has also called for the FAA to reassess evacuation standards, noting they have remained largely unchanged for nearly 35 years.
“Appropriate crew staffing is not a luxury; it is a life-saving necessity,” the senators emphasized in their letter, urging the FAA to thoroughly evaluate how reduced flight attendant numbers could impact passenger safety during evacuations.
Why it matters
The FAA’s minimum staffing standards and evacuation certification requirements directly affect airline safety protocols, especially on large aircraft with multiple exit doors. Reduced flight attendant numbers could compromise timely evacuations, potentially increasing passenger risk in emergencies. With evacuation drills not yet updated to reflect real-world conditions, the FAA’s assessment and possible policy adjustments are critical to ensuring effective emergency response capability.
Background
The FAA currently mandates that a plane must be evacuable within 90 seconds to meet federal safety standards, a benchmark set decades ago based on controlled tests. However, recent incidents show actual evacuations can take much longer, exposing gaps between regulatory requirements and operational realities. Airlines must pass evacuation demonstrations for each unique seating configuration to set the minimum flight attendant crew size. Reduced minimum crew levels have been recently approved for some widebody aircraft, leading to concerns about whether these staffing reductions compromise passenger safety during emergencies.
Sources
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