Angry over cramped WestJet seats? How backlash shows a regulation gap

The airline has said its reconfigured cabins underwent 'an extensive safety and certification process' and were signed off by Transport Canada.

The controversial move by WestJet to reduce the legroom in some economy rows on select flights in order add extra seats exposes gaps in Canadian legislation and regulatory powers amid the continued squeeze on passengers by airlines, one air industry expert says.

Concerns and backlash have grown after a video clip shared widely online appeared to show passengers pressed into the cramped seats aboard a WestJet flight, complaining about difficulty straightening their knees in front of them.

There is no minimum standard in federal aviation regulations for seat pitch, the term used to measure the distance between one point on a seat and the same point on the seat in front. Airlines also don’t have to notify passengers of how much legroom they will get when booking a flight, although they can offer additional legroom for a higher fare.

WestJet’s new seat configuration could be “the straw that breaks the camel’s back” and spark movement toward new regulations that ensure minimum passenger comfort, said John Gradek, an aviation expert at McGill University.

“This is breaking new ground,” he said in an interview.

“What WestJet did is now start the conversation about pitch. And how tight of a pitch now becomes an issue, both in terms of safety and security … as well as comfort.”

WestJet announced in September it would reconfigure the seating on 43 Boeing 737 jets to install an extra row and divide the cabin into more tiers.

So far, 21 planes furnish the compressed configuration.