Napa Valley Register - Thompson stands behind passengers rights
Among the items listed in the bill are a “three-hour” provision that would require airlines to offer passengers the option to exit the plane if it has been stalled on the tarmac for longer than three hours.
The bill comes roughly four years after the major ice storms on Feb. 14, 2007 stranded hundreds of passengers on tarmacs without access to food, water, medical provisions and kept some in close proximity to overflowing toilets.
Thompson read the following statement at this morning's news conference:
“Air carriers have a responsibility to provide basic services and accommodations to their passengers. Yet we continue to hear stories from Americans who have been stranded on planes without adequate food, water, ventilation, or working toilets. Despite reassurances from the airlines, these kinds of horror stories aren't going away. In fact, nearly 3,500 flights sat on tarmacs for at least two hours before takeoff in 2010 alone.
“Many airlines have shown that they can't or won't put the needs of their passengers first. That's why I'm introducing the Air Passenger Bill of Rights of 2011, which would take concrete action to protect fliers from the airline industry's worst abuses. In addition to offering passengers the option to deplane in the event of excessive delays, my bill would provide fliers with basic necessities, including access to food and water, comfortable cabin temperatures, and adequate restroom facilities. Unbelievably, these commonsense accommodations are outside the scope of the Department of Transportation's current passenger protection guidelines.
“Yesterday marked the fourth anniversary of the infamous Valentine's Day ice storm, which stranded 9 Jet Blue airplanes full of passengers on the tarmacs at JFK Airport. Some planes held passengers between 5 to 11.5 hours. By working together with a long list of consumer protection groups and a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers, I hope we can put an end to these kinds of horror stories once and for all."
Thompson, who represents Napa and the rest of California's 1st Congressional District, delivered the press conference at 7 a.m. local time from Washington, D.C.