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Is more seat space, legroom needed on flights?

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Airline passengers have long complained about how small the seats are on planes and about not having enough legroom. One advocacy group sued the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA said it's not its problem.

The group Flyers' Rights claims people can hardly get out of their seats in an emergency.

The court ordered the agency to look into it. The FAA said it found no evidence of a safety issue.

The agency said:

"The time it takes passengers to get out of their seats is less than the time it takes for emergency exits to begin functioning."

The FAA said it will not make any regulations.

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On Capitol Hill, senators behind a proposed airline passengers' Bill of Rights called the FAA’s decision a "stunning failure to act."

Industry publication Airline Weekly sees the decision as a win for the consumer.

"Part of the reason why airline tickets are as cheap as they've ever been is because airlines are packing so many seats on planes," Seth Kaplan, with Airline Weekly, said.

A bill now in the Senate would require the FAA to set minimum seat sizes. The House already passed that bill.