ACI-NA Applauds DOT for Improving Airline Passenger Protections

Contact:

Megan Miller, mmiller@aci-na.org (202) 861-8080

Eileen Denne, edenne@aci-na.org (202) 293-4537

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON (April 16, 2008) – Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) commended the Department of Transportation (DOT) for its announcement today to amend the Part 250 compensation available to passengers who are involuntarily denied boarding and for expanding the measures to passengers flying on smaller aircraft. In the final rule, the Department adopted all of the enhancements advocated by ACI-NA.

“Airports are often required to assist passengers when they are delayed or denied boarding,” said ACI-NA President Greg Principato. “ACI-NA strongly supported this increase in compensation which helps recognize the inconvenience, lost time and lost opportunities that passengers experience when delayed or bumped.

“In addition, passengers flying on regional jets, which exclusively serve more than two-thirds of communities with scheduled airline service, will now be provided the same consumer protection as passengers flying on larger planes. While airports and airlines continue to work to make the busy summer travel season less difficult for passengers, we are pleased that DOT's announcement means travelers can now expect more fair compensation if they are delayed or bumped,” Principato added.

In its January 22 comments on the DOT’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,  ACI-NA recommended the increase from $200 to $400 for passengers who are rerouted within two hours (four hours internationally) and from $400 to $800 for passengers who are not rerouted within these timeframes. ACI-NA also advocated that the seating-capacity exception for small aircraft be reduced from “60 seats or more” to “30 seats or more.”

Use of regional carriers has increased tremendously in the last ten years. In addition, 99 percent of regional airline passengers travel on code-sharing flights; the percentage increase in passengers on 31 through 60-seat aircraft has outpaced that on larger aircraft; and often there are fewer flights to re-accommodate passengers who are bumped from a small versus a large aircraft.

Also See:

• View new DOT rule
• Air Travel Consumer Report/April 2008 -- 'Bumped passengers'
  

About ACI-NA:
Airports Council International - North America represents local, regional and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada. ACI-NA member airports enplane more than 95 percent of the domestic and virtually all the international airline passenger and cargo traffic in North America.  Almost 400 aviation-related businesses are also members of the association, which is the largest of the five worldwide regions of Airports Council International.