Jazz, Air Canada’s regional airline, plans to reduce fuel consumption by dropping life vests from its flights, which equal about fifty-five pounds less on its 50-seater Dash-8s.
Canadian regulations allow airlines to use floatation devices, such as the seat cushions, as long as the planes remain within 56 miles of shore.and a number of its East Coast routes were adjusted to ensure compliance.
While Jazz does not operate on routes that take it over significant bodies of water, one does wonder how an airline can compromise on an issue of safety. Not everyone can hang on to a seat cushion, for example, parents who must take children or infant by the hand, or the disabled.
Perhaps the move will cause Canadian and other transport authorities to review these regulations and consider these issues. Perhaps we can pay extra to rent a life jacket in the event of an emergency. Ryanair in Europe tried a wheelchair service fee.
Either way, the airlines are cutting things everywhere. Pretty soon, like the old joke, they’ll be selling no-frills seats on the wings of the aircraft.
