September 05, 2014 - The National Association of Airline Passengers, a non-partisan, non profit membership organization has filed a formal Petition for Rule-making with the FAA to set standards guaranteeing each passenger adequate leg, hip, and shoulder room. FAA currently has no standards limiting how small seats can be or how tightly they may be placed. 

Smaller seats and overcrowded airplanes produce conditions that are unsafe, uncomfortable, and unhealthy for passengers and aircrew alike. Higher density seating and the lack of standards on seat width, legroom, and seat recline have led to unnecessary conflict, altercations, and even flight diversions. 

Delta flight from New York City to West Palm Beach, Flight 2370 was diverted to Jacksonville, as a result of two passengers getting into a heated argument over reclining a seat which lead one of the passengers involved to state to the flight crew, "I don't care about the consequences, put this plane down now."