Must speak English to sit in the exit row
Oct 18, 22, 6:50 am
#1
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Must speak English to sit in the exit row
I was seated in an exit row window seat. Middle and aisle were occupied by a Hispanic couple. I tried to make conversation with them and they couldn’t understand English. As it’s an exit row it’s important to be able to communicate with the flight attendants and listen to instructions in English. It’s a safety hazard if people in the exit row can’t speak English. I alerted the flight attendant and they were moved to another row.
It’s not discriminatory to require people in an exit row to be able to assist in an emergency. They can’t assist if they can’t communicate.
It’s not discriminatory to require people in an exit row to be able to assist in an emergency. They can’t assist if they can’t communicate.
Oct 18, 22, 8:25 am
#3
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I was seated in an exit row window seat. Middle and aisle were occupied by a Hispanic couple. I tried to make conversation with them and they couldn’t understand English. As it’s an exit row it’s important to be able to communicate with the flight attendants and listen to instructions in English. It’s a safety hazard if people in the exit row can’t speak English. I alerted the flight attendant and they were moved to another row.
It’s not discriminatory to require people in an exit row to be able to assist in an emergency. They can’t assist if they can’t communicate.
It’s not discriminatory to require people in an exit row to be able to assist in an emergency. They can’t assist if they can’t communicate.
Oct 18, 22, 9:31 am
#4
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Oct 18, 22, 10:23 am
#5
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I've sat in exit row seats when traveling on foreign carriers. Knowing how to operate the exit door seems universal to me.
Oct 18, 22, 10:35 am
#6
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But understanding when you are being told to do so, or perhaps when you are being told that doors on the left are not to be opened because of a hazard, etc. is not.
Oct 18, 22, 10:41 am
#7
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There is no EU (or ICAO requirement) that cabin crew members must speak English. It is a general practice that cabin crew members do speak English to facilitate the communication in the aviation industry. The operator defines what languages its cabin crew members must be able to speak and at what level.
Oct 18, 22, 11:24 am
#8
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Reference: Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 Air Operations, Annex III (Part-ORO) and Annex IV (Part-CAT) is available on EASA website.
There is no EU (or ICAO requirement) that cabin crew members must speak English. It is a general practice that cabin crew members do speak English to facilitate the communication in the aviation industry. The operator defines what languages its cabin crew members must be able to speak and at what level.
There is no EU (or ICAO requirement) that cabin crew members must speak English. It is a general practice that cabin crew members do speak English to facilitate the communication in the aviation industry. The operator defines what languages its cabin crew members must be able to speak and at what level.
Oct 18, 22, 11:34 am
#9
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Well, yes, clearly it would be nonsensical to have an English language requirement in some parts of the world. None of which has any bearing on my earlier response to your suggestion that it did not matter if you were unable to comprehend the crew's instructions because you know how to open a door.
Oct 18, 22, 11:40 am
#10
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Again, I agree. Again, I don't see the relevance to the post of mine you quoted which was replying to your suggestion which seems to be that it doesn't matter if you can understand the instructions or not because doors are universal.
Oct 18, 22, 1:22 pm
#11
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The exit row requirements for US airlines are listed in 14 CFR 121.585.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/121.585
(b) No certificate holder may seat a person in a seat affected by this section if ...
...
(3) The person lacks the ability to read and understand instructions required by this section and related to emergency evacuation provided by the certificate holder in printed or graphic form or the ability to understand oral crew commands.
...(5) The person lacks sufficient aural capacity to hear and understand instructions shouted by flight attendants, without assistance beyond a hearing aid;
(6) The person lacks the ability adequately to impart information orally to other passengers;
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/121.585
(b) No certificate holder may seat a person in a seat affected by this section if ...
...
(3) The person lacks the ability to read and understand instructions required by this section and related to emergency evacuation provided by the certificate holder in printed or graphic form or the ability to understand oral crew commands.
...(5) The person lacks sufficient aural capacity to hear and understand instructions shouted by flight attendants, without assistance beyond a hearing aid;
(6) The person lacks the ability adequately to impart information orally to other passengers;
Oct 18, 22, 2:59 pm
#12
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Of course much of the world does not have this rule - or they allow for other languages in the exit row. My upcoming Finnair flights specify that I might speak at least one of English or Finnish to sit in the exit row. Whether that's an actual Finnish law or a procedure put in place by the airline, I don't know.
Oct 18, 22, 3:05 pm
#13
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I do not know the legislative situation but I have seen KLM move a passenger from an exit row as they only spoke German, and either English or Dutch was required. But when picking the seat the app at least does not mention this only the ability to "hear, understand and act upon the instructions given by crew members", which can be argued is fundamentally the same thing. The crewmember in my case certainly spoke no German and a fellow passenger translated to enable a seat swap to happen.
Oct 18, 22, 4:31 pm
#14
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Blame the gate agent. When swiping their boarding passes at the gate to board they should have been asked there if they are willing and able to assist (in English). Looks like no one did.
