Deplaning Provision Stripped From H.R. 2881

A proposed airline passenger bill of rights has run into trouble in the House, as a key provision -- the right for trapped passengers to deplane an airliner trapped over three hours -- ran into a brick wall.

"It makes me sick," said Kate Hanni, spokesperson for the Coalition for an Airline Passengers Bill of Rights. "It completely overwhelms the public interest."

One of the bill's chief proponents -- California Representative Mike Thompson -- took umbrage to Hanni's assertion the bill had suffered a setback, noting the overall bill has gone forward, and may soon become law.

"I thought it was a pretty big win," Thompson told the Santa Rosa (CA) Press-Democrat. "Anybody with an ounce of sense would think that."

Thompson notes most of his original proposal made it into H.R. 2881, the House's proposed FAA funding reauthorization plan, which is awaiting a congressional vote.

"I'm still trying," Thompson asserted, adding Hanni and other supporters of the bill would need to appeal to Republican lawmakers to have the deplaning provision put back in.

Even then, however, it's unlikely the provision will make it back in. Thompson told the newspaper Minnesota Representative James Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, was agreeable to adding it back in with enough support.

But Jim Berard, spokesman for the committee, said in no uncertain terms that's not the case, saying a "firm deadline" for letting passengers off delayed flights is "not the best way to approach this."

That position is firmly in line with the Air Transport Association, trade group for the nation's largest airlines, which opposes hard limits to ground delays. The group has extensively lobbied Congress to make its position known... and that's understandable, says former Congressman Doug Bosco.

"Lobbyists zero in on the people who can stop legislation, and this may be an example," said Bosco, who was once a member of the aviation subcommittee.

Oberstar has received close to $700,000 in campaign contributions from airline industry interests since 1989, the Press-Democrat reports, citing figures on opensecrets.org.

Hanni met with an Oberstar aide, and came away with the impression the congressman "doesn't want to regulate the airlines... For every one of us there are four airline lobbyists."

Thompson notes the House FAA bill would still require airlines to provide stranded flyers with food and water, as well as adequate lav facilities and cabin ventilation. The government would also keep closer tabs on such events.

"In the past, nothing was done," he said, noting the issue of passenger rights was brought before Congress in 1999 and 2001, but was defeated both times.

Bosco said it's "probably a credit to Mike that his bill got anywhere at all."

FMI: www.strandedpassengers.blogspot.com, www.oberstar.house.gov, www.airlines.org