It costs - The parachutes cost. The fuel to carry a plane load of parachutes for all the passengers costs. If airlines pass on the cost, I doubt passengers are

It costs - The parachutes cost. The fuel to carry a plane load of parachutes for all the passengers costs. If airlines pass on the cost, I doubt passengers are willing to pay extra, even if it might save their lives. Image - there are only so many precautions and safety demos before passengers think "Hell, this is just too risky" When something goes wrong on the plane, it's probably too catastrophic to get your parachute on and wait by the door. If there comes a point when passengers need to 'chute out, there's going to be a stampede. Issues of liability when landing passengers break limbs, dent the roof of your car, drown in the ocean under their parachutes. Any more reasons anyone?