U.S. lawmakers look to crack down on airlines over canceled flights

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two U.S. Home Democrats on Tuesday proposed making it illegal for airways to supply flights in the event that they know they lack enough employees or to cancel flights near scheduled departures due to foreseeable staffing points.

In a summer season of rising frustration over tens of hundreds of canceled flights, Representatives Jan Schakowsky and David Cicilline stated their proposal would give the Federal Commerce Fee (FTC) and state attorneys basic new powers to behave.

“Stronger enforcement of the airline trade is urgently wanted,” stated Schakowsky. “The airline trade have to be held accountable for the hurt they’re inflicting: the missed life occasions, time separated from household and associates, and the stress of navigating a journey system that isn’t placing shoppers first.”

The measure would repeal an exemption passenger airways obtained from oversight by the FTC below a 1958 legislation. It’s the newest push by lawmakers to persuade regulators to get robust on the aviation trade.

Some lawmakers have stated the Transportation Division (USDOT) already has the ability to fantastic airways who knowingly cancel flights due to foreseeable staffing points citing USDOT authority to research whether or not airways are engaged in “unfair or misleading observe[s]” or “unfair methodology(s) of competitors.”

In June, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Alex Padilla and

Richard Blumenthal wrote Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the FTC asking them to research “the most important airways to make sure they aren’t partaking in unfair and exploitative enterprise practices.”

Final week, Democratic Senators Edward Markey, Elizabeth Warren, Sheldon Whitehouse and Blumenthal together with almost 20 Home lawmakers launched laws to offer shoppers an “enforceable proper to a full money refund for flight and ticket cancellations.”

Final month, Warren and Padilla urged Buttigieg to fantastic airways that delay or cancel flights due to staffing or operational points “to vary airways’ calculus about harming shoppers to pad their very own income.”

Airways for America, a commerce group representing Delta Air Traces, United Airways, American Airways, Southwest Airways and others, stated Tuesday “carriers try to offer a seamless journey expertise and are making each effort – together with lowering summer season schedules by 16 % and rising hiring initiatives – to accommodate the unexpectedly speedy restoration of demand for air journey.”

Buttigieg, who met just about with airline CEOs in June to demand higher efficiency, informed Reuters Monday airways have improved however have extra to do. He additionally famous the division was proposing a collection of client safety guidelines.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Modifying by David Gregorio)