As Chairman
of Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Murray has long pressured the
U.S. Department of Transportation to end practice of keeping passengers aboard
planes on tarmac during long delays
(Washington, D.C.) – U.S.
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) applauded a U.S. Department of Transportation rule that takes effect today that would limit
tarmac delays for passengers on domestic flights. Under the new rule, U.S.
airlines operating domestic flights may not permit an aircraft to remain on the
tarmac at large and medium hub airports for more than three hours without
deplaning passengers. Senator Murray has raised this issue on numerous
occasions with Transportation Secretaries and FAA Administrators. She has also
increased funding for U.S. Department of
Transportation programs that protect airline
customers and improve customer services.
“As someone who spends a great deal of time on
commercial airlines, I know the frustrations of delays, the importance of good
customer service, and the need to respect the rights of passengers,” said Senator
Murray. “Holding passengers on the tarmac for long delays is flat out
unacceptable and I have long worked to bring about this change. I am also
pleased that the rule change today requires airlines to eliminate chronically
delayed flights and pay better attention to consumer complaints. We need to do
all that we can to ensure that the rules put passengers first.”
In addition to the tarmac deplaning requirements the
rule announced today also:
- Prohibits the largest U.S. airlines from
scheduling chronically delayed flights, subjecting those that do to DOT
enforcement action for unfair and deceptive practices; - Requires U.S. 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 U.S. airlines to adopt customer service
plans and audit their own compliance with their plans; and - Prohibits U.S. airlines from retroactively
applying material changes to their contracts of carriage that could have a
negative impact on consumers who already have purchased tickets.
In addition, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, beginning
at the end of July, airlines will be required to display on their website
flight delay information for each domestic flight they operate.
The new consumer rule is
available on the Internet at www.regulations.gov,
docket DOT-OST-2007-0022.
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