Senate Approves Boxer-Snowe Airline Passenger Bill of Rights

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Feb 18, 2011, 02:03 ET

Statement of Kate Hanni

NAPA, Calif., Feb. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kate Hanni, FlyersRights.org today praised the Senate's passage of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2011, which includes the Airline Passengers Bill of Rights, written by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) to protect passengers from lengthy tarmac delays and to ensure that "No Child is Left Unbuckled" in a new amendment #223 to the Senate FAA Reauthorization Bill.

"The Senate's vote is a huge victory for job creation, for the safety of air travel and for protecting the rights of airline passengers nationwide," Kate Hanni said. "And the new Boxer-Snowe amendment for protecting our most vulnerable infants in FAA approved CRS restraints, is a giant step forward in protecting those who cannot advocate for themselves."

"FlyersRights.org has been fighting for 4 years to obtain permanent protections for airline passengers," said Kate Hanni, "we are fortunate to have such fierce defenders of our rights to freedom from being held hostage in an aircraft in Senator Boxer and Senator Snowe."

The Department of Transportation began implementing key parts of the Boxer-Snowe Airline Passenger Bill of Rights last year, but the bill passed by the Senate would codify those protections into law. The protections include the so-called "three-hour rule," which requires airlines to give passengers the option of returning to the terminal if they have been stuck on a plane for longer than three hours.

The FAA bill also would require airlines to develop contingency plans - approved by the Federal Aviation Administration - to ensure that passengers are provided with adequate food, water and restrooms, and allowed to deplane in the event of a lengthy tarmac delay.

In addition, Senator's Boxer and Snowe added an amendment S: 223 to the FAA Bill which we call "No child left unbuckled" which would require air carriers to post up front the dimensions of a child safety seat that can be used on each aircraft operated by the air carrier to enable passengers to determine which child safety seats can be used on those aircraft.

The FAA Reauthorization Act will support 280,000 jobs nationwide, according to the U.S. Travel Association, while helping airports modernize their facilities and improve safety.

FlyersRights.org is the largest non-profit airline passengers rights organization in the world with 33,000 members.

SOURCE FlyersRights.org