Airline Dumps Safety Gear To Save Fuel

Air Canada's regional carrier, Jazz, is removing life vests from all of its planes to save weight and fuel.

A Jazz spokeswoman says Canadian regulations allow airlines to use floatation devices instead of life vests as long as the planes remain within 50 miles of shore.

Safety cards in the seat pockets of Jazz planes now direct passengers to use the seat cushions as floatation devices.

Jazz is a transcontinental carrier that doesn't fly over the ocean. The planes do fly over the Great Lakes and along the Eastern seaboard. But the company says all of the flights are within 50 miles from shore and the number of its flights that fly over water is minimal.