Why are seats near emergency exit on a plane freezing cold?

Question

I was recently flying from Abu Dhabi to JFK in an A380 with Etihad. Probably one of the most modern aircraft. I got the front most seat with a lot of free leg space next to emergency exit (seat 40K). It was comfortable for first hour or so but then it got really cold around my feet. No exaggeration, it was below freezing point for sure. I could feel cold air coming from the door. I was using at least 3 blankets to block it but no amount of insulation would help. Later I searched and found out other people have faced this challenge too. It is a known problem. Anyways, this post is about understanding where does that cold air come from? I am sure it was not coming from outside as in a pressurised cabin air would leak out instead of leaking in. Also the cabin temperature was alright when you move away from near the emergency exit. It was definitely not the same air that was circulating the rest of cabin.

Also why this is an unattended area in otherwise extremely sophisticated aircraft ?

Answer 1

Most all aircraft doors suffer the same issue. The doors which are sealed against pressure leakage are not well insulated especially in the space between the door and frame. So the extremely cold temperatures outside can transfer inside making the inside air by the door's edges quite cold.