The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is telling airlines to readjust emergency evacuation procedures to drive home that they cannot bring carry-on items with them during an emergency evacuation.
The rules for an airplane emergency evacuation never permitted travelers to bring their carry-on items during evacuation; yet recent emergency evacuations in February, April and July apparently showed people with their carry-on items, which slows the evacuation.
Video clearly shows travelers with their carry-ons deplaning during the emergency evacuation in July, which occurred when an American Airlines plane had a tire issue during takeoff, prompting an emergency landing at Denver International minutes later.
The FAA told NBC News that “Passengers have taken their carry-on items with them on a number of recent evacuations. This slows the evacuation and puts lives at risk.”
The new recommendations to airlines should “clearly and concisely instruct passengers to leave all carry-on items behind during an evacuation.”
The FAA, meanwhile, has not provided any additional information about the new instructions to airlines.
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