Transportation officials offer relief for passengers trapped on the tarmac

DEPARTMENT of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood came to the rescue of beleaguered air travelers Monday by placing a three-hour limit on how long they can be forced to sit on grounded planes before they must be returned to the terminal. But don't expect immediate relief over the busy Christmas-New Year's travel axis. The new rule doesn't kick in for another 120 days.

Exceptions to the rule would be granted if there are safety or security concerns, or if air traffic controllers tell the pilot that returning to the terminal would disrupt airport operations. Within two hours, airlines have to provide their passengers with adequate food and water. They also have to ensure that the bathrooms remain operable and provide medical care, if necessary. In addition to the tarmac rules, DOT are blocking air carriers from scheduling chronically delayed flights.

Each violation of the three-hour rule would result in a $27,500 fine per passenger. That's more satisfying than the total $175,000 fine meted out last month to Continental Airlines, ExpressJet and Mesaba Airlines for their roles in trapping 47 passengers on the tarmac in Rochester, Minn., last summer for six hours. But that action was significant because it was the first time the federal government had gone after airlines for such an offense. It accused the three carriers of deceptive trade practices and misleading customers by violating their customer service agreements.

The process that led to Monday's regulations started in the aftermath of the great ice storm of Valentine's Day 2007. 'Twas a nasty affair that left nine fully loaded JetBlue aircraft on the tarmac at John F. Kennedy airport in New York, some frozen to the ground, for six to 10 hours. Heeding the anger of irate passengers fed up with being treated no better than cattle, members of Congress introduced a passenger bill of rights. The House has passed legislation. The Senate has not. Until there is a law, Mr. LaHood's description of the new regulations as the Obama administration's "passenger bill of rights" will have to do.