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Airline ditches life vests to save on fuel

Air Canada Jazz says its planes will now be 25 kilograms lighter
By PATRICIA BROOKS ARENBURG and MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE Staff Reporters
Sun. Aug 24 - 3:21 PM

Air Canada Jazz’s decision to drop inflatable life vests from its flights is "asinine," Halifax-area MP Peter Stoffer said Saturday.

"They’re removing life vests?" he asked. "Are they nuts?"

The NDP member for Sackville-Eastern Shore said Jazz has "gone cost-saving overboard."

"You know what this is? This is probably some person in an office somewhere that’s sitting there going: ‘These life vests weigh so much. If we take them off and meet the minimum of the transport guidelines, we could save so much fuel per year.’

"Unbelievable."

The Toronto Star reported Saturday that Jazz, Air Canada’s regional affiliate, plans to reduce fuel consumption by dropping commercial life vests from its flights, which will amount to about 25 kilograms less aboard its Dash-8 planes with 50 seats.

The move will leave passengers holding onto their seats — or at least their floating seat cushions — in the event the plane ditches and they hit the water alive.

Transport Canada regulations allow airlines to use flotation devices, a secondary option for other carriers, instead of life vests as long as the planes remain within 90 kilometres of shore. A Jazz official said a number of its East Coast routes were adjusted so the planes met that requirement, the Star reported.

By tasco66 on Aug 27, 2008, 12:14 in Off Topic.

paulr says on Aug 27, 2008, 14:02:

ha ha, funny. I´ve always wondered what they are for anyway, the last thought on my mind when my plane is heading towards the ground like a dart would be my life jacket. I mean, has anyone ever been saved from one?

"paulr threatens me with death !" pobrecito

0 funny, 0 helpful.

ronaldo says on Aug 31, 2008, 19:21:

Transport Canada regulations of dumping the life jackets if the plane is only 90 kilometers from shore I can understand.

Who has not swam 90 kilometers in the last few days?

Ronaldo

1 funny, 0 helpful.

billyb says on Aug 31, 2008, 19:38:

Next they will be ditching pilots and using stewies to fly the planes to save some more dough.

:"Who has not swam 90 kilometers in the last few days?"

jaja, ronaldo, that same thought struck me when I heard this. I mean, more than a 100 meters and you are foked.

1 funny, 0 helpful.