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Klobuchar Statement on Fines against Airlines for Stranding Passengers

November 24, 2009

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar released the following statement today regarding the Department of Transportation (DOT) decision to fine Continental Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines for stranding passengers of Flight 2816 on the Rochester International Airport tarmac for more than six hours this past August.

"These penalties send a strong message that airlines should not leave passengers stranded on a tarmac for hours on end," said Klobuchar. "In this case common sense flew out the window but unfortunately for the passengers the windows were shut. We need to put a national set of standards into law to prevent this from happening in the future. The next step is to bring the Passenger Bill of Rights to the floor of the United States Senate for a vote."

Klobuchar, a member of the Aviation Subcommittee of the Commerce Committee is a cosponsor of the Passenger Bill of Rights, legislation that would establish a national standard for passenger protections. Klobuchar is the senior senator from Minnesota, where the incident occurred.

Following the incident in August, Klobuchar sent letters to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Continental Airlines and ExpressJet asking for a comprehensive review of the incident and pledged to work with the FAA to enact regulation.

The Passenger Bill of Rights would require that:

• Airlines provide passengers with food, potable water, comfortable cabin temperature and ventilation, and adequate restrooms during a delay.

• Airlines return to the gate if they have languished on the tarmac for three hours after the plane door has closed.

• Airports and airlines develop contingency plans for delayed flights to be federally reviewed and approved.
 
• The U.S. Transportation Department create a consumer complaint hotline that passengers can call to alert the agency about delays.

Today, the DOT announced a civil penalty of $100,000 against Continental Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines. Continental Airlines provided a full refund to each passenger and also offered each passenger additional compensation for their time and discomfort. The DOT assessed a civil penalty of $75,000 against Mesaba Airlines, which provided ground handling for the flight, for its role in the incident.

These fines are the first enforcement orders punishing carriers for extended tarmac delays, as well as the first time a carrier acting as a ground handler for another airline has been punished for failing to properly help passengers leave an aircraft during an unreasonably long tarmac delay.

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