What’s the best cabin layout for aircraft evacuation?
Summary
A 2026 study in AIP Advances uses a 3D Airbus A320 cabin model and agent-based evacuation simulation to question the FAA's 90-second evacuation requirement, especially with higher shares of elderly passengers. Evacuation times in tested scenarios exceeded 90 seconds, with fastest at about 141 seconds and slowest at around 218 seconds; limitations include not modeling crew assistance and focusing on dual-engine fire scenarios. The study suggests potential cabin redesigns and targeted safety briefings to improve evacuation outcomes.