MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US limits airline tarmac delays; companies must provide for waiting passengers

The rule requires airlines “to live up to their obligation to treat their customers fairly” said Transportation US Secretary LaHood

The United States Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Monday a new rule that significantly strengthens protections afforded to consumers by, among other things, establishing a hard time limit (three hours) after which US airlines must allow passengers to deplane from domestic flights.

“Airline passengers have rights, and these new rules will require airlines to live up to their obligation to treat their customers fairly” Secretary LaHood said.

The new rule prohibits US airlines operating domestic flights from permitting an aircraft to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours without deplaning passengers, with exceptions allowed only for safety or security or if air traffic control advises the pilot in command that returning to the terminal would disrupt airport operations. US carriers operating international flights departing from or arriving in the United States must specify, in advance, their own time limits for deplaning passengers, with the same exceptions applicable.

Carriers are required to provide adequate food and potable drinking water for passengers within two hours of the aircraft being delayed on the tarmac and to maintain operable lavatories and, if necessary, provide medical attention.

This rule was adopted in response to a series of incidents in which passengers were stranded on the ground aboard aircraft for lengthy periods and also in response to the high incidence of flight delays and other consumer problems.

In one of the most recent tarmac delay incidents, the Department fined Continental Airlines, Express-Jet Airlines and Mesaba Airlines a total of 175,000 US dollars for their roles in a nearly six-hour ground delay at Rochester, Minnesota.

The rule also: Prohibits airlines from scheduling chronically delayed flights, subjecting those who do to DOT enforcement action for unfair and deceptive practices; Requires airlines to designate an airline employee to monitor the effects of flight delays and cancellations, respond in a timely and substantive fashion to consumer complaints and provide information to consumers on where to file complaints; Requires airlines to display on their website flight delay information for each domestic flight they operate; Requires airlines to adopt customer service plans and audit their own compliance with their plans; and prohibits airlines from retroactively applying material changes to their contracts of carriage that could have a negative impact on consumers who already have purchased tickets.