Comment from Kristi Morley
Kristi MorleySupportIndividual
Summary: The commenter expresses strong agreement with the Regional Airline Association's request to extend the exemption for the Embraer IPSB. They argue that the current design creates significant safety hazards by obstructing flight attendants' access to emergency equipment and the rear of the cabin.
RAA Exemption Request- IPSB-2026 - The Embraer design for the IPSB for E170/175 aircraft introduces many hazards. The extensive time it takes to install, uninstall and stow will delay a Flight Attendant’s ability to perform other safety related duties. Also, when the IPSB is installed, FAs have no physical access to back of cabin to attend to medical emergencies, special passengers needing assistance (UMs), and other emergencies such as fire in the cabin. Flight Attendants will not be able to access some vital emergency equipment when the IPSB is installed. These are just a few of the many concerns.
I strongly agree with the RAA that an extension to the current exemption is needed until Embraer obtains FAA certification of a redesigned, second-generation IPSB for the ERJ-170/175 that doesn’t introduce so many hazards that outweigh the benefits of the barrier. The safety risks are too great with the current design