New Inflatable Seat Belts

Does the seat belt on your flight feel a little hefty? That may be because it contains an airbag. New FAA regulations taking effect on October 27 require seats in all new aircraft to be able to withstand 16 times the force of gravity (up from 9 times the force of gravity). The goal is to prevent the seats from tearing loose in "survivable crash" scenarios. Many aircraft are already equipped with the seatbelt airbags, and they are especially prevalent in premium seats, such as lie-flats and pods.