As safety standards in the airline industry begin to grow more strict, both Air France-KLM Group and Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. have shown their support of tighter regulations to decrease passenger fatalities in light of a crash.

Both global carriers recently introduced seatbelt-mounted airbags in economy-class seating in preparation for the anticipated crack-down on airline safety standards. Since October, the US has begun requiring all aircraft built there be outfitted with specific equipment that will aid passengers in retaining their consciousness upon impacts with a deceleration of 16 times that of gravity force.

The idea is that passengers will have a better chance of escaping any subsequent fires, if they are able to remain conscious in the immediate wake of a crash. Europe will be issuing the same regulations at the end of next year, said Jeremie Teahan of the European Aviation Safety Agency.

Many standard aircraft seats already comply with the 16g rule without requiring additional airbags. However, AmSafe Inc, the airbag manufacturer, predicts the device will be standard procedure by 2020. At present, installing the specialised seatbelts with airbags costs $1,200 per seat, as opposed to the $25 it costs for a regular safety belt. Yet, as awareness of airplane safety issues continues to rise, AmSafe Inc believes the airbags will become a valued commodity. Currently, about two per cent of aircraft have the equipment.

Tony Tyler, chief executive officer at Cathay Pacific said that the issue with economy seats is their rigid shells making a head-on impact more difficult. He added that this required airbags to resolve the 16g issue. As it is, 80 per cent of plane crashes can be survived. Yet, a recent study by the UK Civil Aviation Authority did conclude that a further 62 fatalities could have been prevented with better seating restraints and stronger seats.