Two Senate Democrats are pressing the Federal Aviation Administration for answers about evacuation testing that is nearly two years overdue and for a review of the agency’s decision to allow airlines to reduce flight attendant staffing on some widebody long-haul flights.
Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) sent a letter to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford saying they are concerned that some aircraft could have more floor-level exit doors than certified flight attendants positioned at those exits during an emergency evacuation.
“Without a certified flight attendant positioned at every dual-aisle floor-level exit, passengers could be left vulnerable at precisely the moment they must rely on skilled, decisive guidance and rapid action,” the senators wrote. They also warned that reduced staffing increases risk if a flight attendant becomes incapacitated during an incident.
The senators note that American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have all received FAA approval to reduce the number of flight attendants on certain aircraft under the existing rule that requires one flight attendant per 50 passenger seats. Under that formula, some widebody configurations now carry a minimum crew that leaves at least one exit unstaffed.
Last year the FAA certified American’s Boeing 787-9P seating configuration with a minimum of seven flight attendants, even though the plane has eight exit doors. American says it typically assigns eight to 10 attendants depending on flight distance, but that the lower certified minimum allows the carrier to operate if a crew member becomes unavailable during a trip.
The FAA has defended its process, saying evacuation demonstrations are conducted for every seating configuration and that staffing requirements are based on seating capacity and demonstration results. The FAA observed American complete its evacuation demonstration for the 787-9P on June 25, the agency said.
Flight attendant unions have sharply criticized the staffing reductions. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, said today nothing prevents airlines from assigning a single attendant to cover two widebody exits and warned that previous accidents show unattended exits during evacuations can cause chaos, injury and increased smoke in cabins. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents American flight attendants, has urged lawmakers to address what it calls an industry-wide reduction in minimum crew.
Duckworth, the ranking Democrat on the Senate aviation subcommittee, has been a longtime advocate for evacuation testing that reflects real-world conditions such as small children, elderly and disabled passengers, service animals and cabin luggage. Congress required the FAA to complete updated evacuation testing within one year of passage of the agency’s reauthorization bill, but that deadline passed in May 2025 and the report remains incomplete, the senators say.
The FAA’s 90-second evacuation standard has been criticized as unrealistic: real-world evacuations often take far longer. In 2024, the full evacuation of Japan Airlines Flight 516 after a collision at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport took between 11 and 18 minutes, according to the airline and the Japan Transport Safety Board.
A 2020 Department of Transportation Inspector General report also found the FAA’s process for updating evacuation standards “lacks data collection and analysis on current risks.” Duckworth, who lost both legs in military service, has publicly questioned whether she could exit an aircraft within 90 seconds in an emergency.
The senators are asking the FAA not only for a status update on the overdue evacuation testing but also for a formal study on how reduced flight attendant staffing affects evacuation efficiency. “The presence of flight attendants, stationed in the right locations, help passengers survive when their lives depend on it,” they wrote, adding that appropriate crew staffing is a life-saving necessity, not a luxury.