"Mr Gifford said airlines should consider putting families and elderly people near the exits."
Is this person INSANE?!
These are the same people who, in the
less stressful situation of boarding (as compared to an emergency evacuation), can never seem to get out of their
own way.
Most likely end result:
Possible slight increased survivability for familes and elderly
Dramatic decreased survivability for everyone else
Mr Gifford should try thinking before speaking.....