Adding More Fancy Seats to Planes Poses a Regulatory Challenge

Novel seat configurations on planes, which have become more prevalent as airlines shift focus to premium travelers, have created new safety challenges that are delaying regulatory approval, the head of the US Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday.

“We see seats, suites — especially in the premium section of the airplane — that just don’t pass our human factors tests for impact,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told reporters in Charleston, South Carolina.

Everything from how the seats are positioned, buckles are designed and beds are configured “affect how passengers can safely evacuate an aircraft in an emergency or how they’re protected ...